


Mirror Mirror on the Walls

by To_Shiki



Series: Mirror Mirror on the Walls [4]
Category: Jrock, S.K.I.N.
Genre: M/M, Multi, the fic that wasn't allowed to die
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 08:39:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/To_Shiki/pseuds/To_Shiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miyavi wants to know why Yoshiki talks to himself in the bathroom late at night</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Yoshiki's gone crazy?

**Author's Note:**

> This was written on hidè day (5/2) and was only supposed to be 3 pages long. No one let that happen.

"Hey, guys, I think Yoshiki's finally lost it."

Miyavi's proclamation caused both Gackt and Sugizo to abandon their previous conversation in favor of his.

"What do you mean, Meeve?"

Miyavi leaned in closer to the others over the dining room table.  "I mean this:  late at night when he's bathing, you can hear him talking to himself.  He carries on whole conversations in there!"  He waved his hands in the air.  "He's finally snapped!"

Sugizo raised a hand to silence the youngest of the group.  "I don't think that he's snapped, per se.  He has been under a lot of stress with S.K.I.N. and with X Japan getting back together.  Maybe he's just trying to make sure that he has some alone time from the rest of us."

Miyavi hummed in agreement.  "Yeah, that's probably right."

Gackt, on the other hand, was intrigued on the truth behind Yoshiki's little late night rituals.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Around 2 o'clock in the morning found Gackt standing right outside Yoshiki's bathroom.  He wasn't really eavesdropping.  No, he was just waiting for the right moment to announce his presence.  Yes, that's it.

Yoshiki had bid them all a good night an hour earlier. The rest of them had decided to spend the night watching as many movies as they possibly could since no one had anything scheduled the next morning.  He had then disappeared upstairs and into his bedroom.  Five minutes later he emerged only to slip into the bathroom.  Gackt had watched him, hoping he wasn’t noticed by any of his housemates.  He didn't want Miyavi or Sugizo to know just how curious he was about Miyavi's comment earlier that morning.

He waited until the sound of running water stopped.  He listened as water sloshed loudly in the tub as Yoshiki stepped in and sat down.  Soft music, the piano version of X's ballads he realized, began playing just loud enough to be heard through the door.  After a good ten minutes had passed, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Yoshiki?  Yoshiki, it’s me Gackt.  May I come in?”  He waited, unconsciously holding his breath so that he may hear the answer better.

There was a long silence from the other side.  Granted the music played on but he could not hear Yoshiki talking or moving around.  He was about to knock again and repeat his question when he heard the other’s answer.

“It’s unlocked.”

It wasn’t really permission to enter.  Not really.  It was more along the lines of a statement.  The door was indeed unlocked when Gackt grasped the handle and turned.  It did indeed open for him, allowing him to invade Yoshiki’s privacy.  But since there was no shouting, no one suggesting that he leave things alone, he entered.

He blinked his eyes several times to help them adjust to the vast difference in light.  While the hallway was brightly lit the bathroom was illuminated by dozens of tea lights over the counters.  The light danced off of the mirrors, giving the room a pale yellow tinge and casting shadows over everything.  He looked down as he closed the door and noticed a rolled up towel next to his feet.  He toed it back into place, blocking out the light coming in from underneath the door.

“Did you need something, Gaku?” the quiet question seemed almost like an intrusion in itself.

He raised his eyes and stared into Yoshiki’s.  The older man was reclined in his tub, rose scented suds floating along the surface of the steaming water.  He had his head tilted back with a dry washcloth underneath it as a cushion.  Half lidded eyes watched him as he walked closer to the tub.

“I was just worried about you, that’s all.”  No way in hell was he going to tell Yoshiki that he and the others had questioned his sanity earlier.  It would definitely not go over well.

The pianist sighed.  “I’m fine.  And you can tell that to Miyavi and Sugizo as well.  I know all about his little trips to stand outside of my bathroom.  The towel may hide his shadow, but he’s not very good at being quiet.”  The tiny grin on Yoshiki’s face suggested more than Miyavi’s ability to be quiet outside of someone’s door.

Gackt cracked a grin at that.  “Yes, well that wasn’t the only reason why I came.”  He waited until those dark brown eyes focused on him.  “I was wondering who exactly you talk to.”  The eyes turned away from him and slowly closed.

He could tell just by the flickering emotions on his face that Yoshiki wasn’t too keen on revealing that tidbit of information.  He sighed and nodded.  “That’s alright, Yoshiki.  If you don’t wish to tell me, I’ll just tell Miyavi that you’re joking around to scare him or something.”  Placing his hands on his knees, he got ready to stand when Yoshiki reached out and grabbed onto his forearm.

“Join me?”

“Of course.”  Gackt slowly striped off his t-shirt and jeans.  He neatly folded them and placed them on the lid of the toilet on top of Yoshiki’s discarded clothing.  “Lean forward,” he ordered gently.  After Yoshiki did as he was told he climbed into the tub.  He placed his hands on Yoshiki’s shoulders and tugged him backwards.

Yoshiki sighed and leaned his head against Gackt’s shoulder, closing his eyes.  “You really want to know who I talk to, don’t you?”  It wasn’t really a question, but it received an answer anyways.

“I am curious, yes.  But like I said, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.  I’ll respect your privacy.”  Strong fingers dug into the tense muscles of the back in front of him.  Moving from top to bottom they continued relieving stress while the two of them sat in silence.

“You once told people that you can see ghosts.  Was that truth or just something for attention?”  Yoshiki’s voice held no malice or contempt.  He was simply curious about him like Gackt was of him.  He groaned and arched his back as the vocalist hit a knot in his lower back.  “Damn, I’m getting old.”

A chuckled blew past his ear.  “You’re not that old.  And yes, I can see ghosts.  Not as often as I used to.  But they’re still there.”  He moved his hands up to Yoshiki’s neck and shoulders, digging his fingers into the sore spots.

“Then tell me:  what do you see in the mirrors?”

The simple question prompted Gackt to look up at all the mirrors surrounding them.  “I see-“  He stopped.  He stopped speaking, stopped massaging the flesh in front of him.  He almost stopped breathing.

There in the mirrors directly across from them was the image of hidè.  The man looked just as he did at the studio live he performed before his death.  He looked happy, sitting there in the reflection of the sink counter mirror smoking a cigarette.  He grinned when he saw the two of them staring at him.

“Hello Gackt.  Heya Yo-chan.”


	2. Gackt and hidè Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gackt talks with hidè and gets to see someone he thought he'd lost.

“So, do you have to be relaxing in the bathtub to be able to see hide-san?”

Yoshiki chuckled. “No, no you don’t. He’s not trapped in those mirrors or anything.” The drummer shoved his hands into his pockets.

He and Gackt were walking along the park in LA, relaxing after another photo shoot. Miyavi and Sugizo were challenging each other to races, starting beside Yoshiki and Gackt then running to one point or another then back.

“Hmm?”

“When hide died, all the windows in his apartment were closed. His soul had nowhere to go. So he went into the mirror in the hallway.”

Gackt nodded in understanding. “So he pretty much just follows you around then?”

“Sometimes, yes.” Yoshiki held his arms out to the side as the other two members of their group approached them. The vocalist wisely took several steps to the side. Five seconds later Miyavi beat Sugizo in slapping Yoshiki’s hand. He zoomed past, skidded to a halt, spun around, and latched onto Yoshiki’s left arm.

“Ah hah! I win again, old man!” He stuck his tongue out at the panting guitarist.

Sugizo grabbed onto Yoshiki’s other hand as Gackt stepped closer to them now that the danger of being plowed over had disappeared. The four of them walked in silence save for the two inhaling lungfuls of air. Two full minutes passed before Sugizo raised his head and looked around Yoshiki to his fellow guitarist.

“Best 4 out of 5?”

“You’re on, geezer!”

Yoshiki turned his head in Gackt’s direction. He smiled at him, eyes dancing behind dark sunglasses. “It’s your turn.”

With an amused sigh, Gackt agreed. “On your mark…get set…G-“

The two released Yoshiki’s arms and jerked forward. Miyavi glared at their vocalist. “Damnit, Gaku!”

He merely smiled at them and caught Sugizo’s gaze. Once he knew the older man was ready, he yelled, “GO!” Sugizo took off running with Miyavi screaming after him about cheating. The two walking chuckled. Ah, nothing like a relaxing stroll through the park on a sunny afternoon.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

For once Gackt found himself in Yoshiki’s house alone. The other two had convinced the eldest of the group to go out drinking with them. It took a bit of pleading and the promise of a full body massage, but he relented to the double set of puppy eyes. They had left around nine that night and had informed Gackt that they wouldn’t be back until late late.

Around midnight found him wandering around the house. He was bored out of his mind. He couldn’t think of anything new for SKIN, he’d already watched all the Gundam DVDs he owned, and he wasn’t hungry. He was restless.

His wandering found him standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom. Granted he barely slept in it since Yoshiki’s bed was much bigger, it still contained his belongings. He leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of the dresser top. He leaned so close that his nose almost touched the cool surface of the mirror.

“So it’s not just his bathroom mirror that you’re in, huh? Then where are you?” he questioned his reflection, feeling more than foolish. Several minutes passed before he sighed and stood up. “Maybe it only works after midnight or something.” He turned and walked away from the dresser.

“Nah, that’s only fairy godmothers and all that happy shit.”

Gackt spun around so fast that he fell on his ass. Thankfully it was on the edge of the bed that he fell so he didn’t damage his rear. His eyes flew up to the mirror and blinked. Yup, there was hide, the one who had spoken.

 “Hello again.” The spirit of hide waved at the sitting vocalist. “How’s it going?”

“Not…too bad, I guess. How’re you?” It was still a little unnerving to be speaking to a dead man so casually. Even though he had just spoken to him three nights ago, it may take some getting used to. He had gone so long without actually speaking to any of the ghosts he saw passing him by.

“It’s going about as well as possible since I’m dead and all.” hide laughed softly at himself. “But that’s okay, I get to bug Yo-chan a lot more now than I did while alive. Speaking of,” he paused to look around the bedroom. “Where is my sexy man at?”

Gackt stood up and walked up to the mirror. “He’s out drinking with Miyavi and Sugizo.” He shoved his hands into his back pockets. “They promised him a massage if he went with them. I think they were just trying to get him to relax.”

“Well, that’s good. He works too hard as it is.”

Gackt raised an eyebrow at that. “You’ve been watching him?”

“Please. Of course I have. What, do you think I have anything better to do than bother him while he’s trying to work?” hide waved his hand at the startled vocalist. “If I pester him long enough he’ll go home and maybe sleep for a bit.”

“Ah, I see now. I was wondering why he would return home so early.”

“Yup. But that’s not why you wanted to talk to me, is it?” hide’s ghost put his hands on his hips. “There’s another reason, isn’t there?”

Gackt had the decency to look ashamed. He hung his head and toed the floor a bit. He took a deep breath and looked hide in the eyes. “Um, I was wondering…if Kami-kun was there with you? I haven’t seen him for years and after the other night…”

“You were curious to know if he’d moved on or not. Correct?”

“yeah.”

hide sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, he’s still around. I don’t know if he wants to talk to you or not, though.” At Gackt’s crestfallen look he continued. “You went for years without even acknowledging he was with you and now all of a sudden you wanna talk to him? He feels pretty neglected, you know.”

The vocalist sighed at the scolding. It was true, he knew. He had been ignoring Kami’s spirit while pushing himself so hard over the years. He wouldn’t be surprised if Kami really didn’t want to see him again. “I know. But would you at least be able to tell him that I said hi and that I miss him?” He attempted the same puppy eyes he saw Miyavi and Sugizo use on Yoshiki. “Please?”

hide hummed and put and hand to his chin, thinking. “I don’t know, Gaku. Like I said, he’s been feeling really down since you started ignoring him.”

“hide, quit being so mean to him.”

For the second time in one night, Gackt fell on his ass. This time, though, he didn’t have the bed to cushion his fall. Outside his bedroom door at the furthest end of the hallway was another mirror. This one held the fading image of Kami’s spirit.  He was smiling at the downed musician.

“Hi, Gaku-chan. I’ve missed you.”


	3. hidè has the Worst Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly but surely all the members of S.K.I.N. are learning what's going on in the mirrors. Miyavi is not prepared.

“You know that I think you’re crazy, right?”

A long drawn out groan answered him. Miyavi was keeping to his word and was delivering the promised full body massage to Yoshiki. The two were laying on Yoshiki’s king size bed, Miyavi sitting on Yoshiki’s ass, while Sugizo was out with his daughter, Luna, and Gackt was soaking in the bath. Talking to himself.

“So what else is new? A little more to the riiight…oh yeah, right there. Besides isn’t you calling me crazy the same as the pot calling the kettle black?”

The tips of Miyavi’s fingers dug into the tense muscles along Yoshiki’s spine. “Yeah, yeah whatever. I’m just hyper, your crazy’s contagious!”

“Oh, Kami-sama. You’re wonderful at this. And how is my crazy contagious?” He stretched his arms out to the side and sighed. Getting drunk with Miyavi and Sugizo may be a pain in the ass in the morning, but oh the favors he can get out of them. He’s getting another massage from Sugizo once he comes back and Miyavi distracts Luna.

“Now Gaku’s doing it too!” Miyavi huffed at the prone drummer.

“Doing what? Noooo, please don’t stop!” he half whined when the younger man removed his hands.

Miyavi returned his hands to Yoshiki’s back. He started massaging the dip above the buttocks when he replied, “He’s talking to himself in the bathroom now, that’s what! I blame it all on you!” He drove his point home by putting nearly all of his weight on the cluster of bunched muscles, shifting his knuckles back and forth. He was almost knocked off his perch upon Yoshiki’s ass when the legs of said man flew up at him in response to the pain/pleasure.

“Ooooh, yessss. If you _ever_ quit music I’m going to hire you as my personal masseuse, alright?”

“Uh-huh, yeah, okay. I would have to quit first which means that Hell has to freeze over looong before that.” He patted his hands all over Yoshiki’s back. “You good?” Hands went from patting to scratching up and down the bare skin.

Yoshiki released a sigh and nodded. Massages always ended too quickly in his opinion. Never mind the fact that the younger man had been going at his back for a good fifteen minutes. “For now. Thanks.” At least he still has Sugizo’s massage to look forward to.

Miyavi chuckled. “No problem. Say, while you’re all relaxed and in bed already, wanna do something to make sure you go to bed early tonight?” His hands groped Yoshiki’s ass.

‘Ah, youth,’ Yoshiki thought as he spread his legs in invitation.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

On the other side of the house, Gackt was indeed taking a bath while talking to Kami in the mirror above the sink. The two of them had been talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Gackt spoke of what it was like working with the other three while Kami listened. Then Kami would speak about all the trouble hide would get himself into while bugging Yoshiki at the man’s office.

“The other day hide was messing with Yoshiki’s reflection while he was getting ready to meet a new band. He kept making Yoshiki’s hair stand on end in the mirror. When that didn’t faze him he went and made him look all fat and wrinkly and said, ‘This is what you’re going to look like when you’re 50, Yo-chan! I keep telling you that all that McDonald’s you eat is bad for you!’ Yoshiki looked like he wanted to break through the mirror and strangle hide!”

The both of them laughed at the poor man. Gackt had doubled over, causing him to slip beneath the surface of the water. He came back up sputtering and coughing out water. Despite it all he kept laughing.

“Oh I wish I could have seen that! Or maybe not. He probably would have done something to make me regret seeing that.”

Kami chuckled and nodded. “Probably.” He smiled sadly at the man in front of him. “I’m glad that we’re talking again. I really had hoped that you were just too busy with your music and everything to actually talk to me. I was starting to worry that you were just ignoring me.”

The wet vocalist sighed and rubbed a hand over his face and hair. “Well, to be honest, I kinda was. But I didn’t mean it!” he said quickly when he saw his friend frown. “It’s just that every time I did stop and see you, I thought it was because I was so tired that I was imaging you.” He scrubbed a soapy washcloth over his shoulders and arms before looking up apologetically. “I guess I did kinda let the music take over. I’m sorry, Kami-kun.”

Kami waved his hand back and forth. “It’s okay now. I watched you, you know. I know that you have people taking care of you. That’s all that matters to me. Just…take it easy, okay? As much as I love you, I don’t want you to join me and hide any time soon.”

“Alright,” Gackt nodded firmly. “I’m ‘retiring’ in 2010, anyways. So I’ll try to take it easy.”

Kami opened his mouth to say something when a shrill scream pierced the peaceful atmosphere.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Oh, yes! Fuck me harder!”

“Yes, sir!”

Yoshiki was in heaven. First a massage, now Miyavi was driving into him as hard and fast as he could. He pushed back on each thrust. Nothing could ruin the moment. Or so he thought.

“Afternoon, Yo-ch-HOLY SHIT I’M SORRY YO-CHAN!”

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” Miyavi screamed. He paused, twisted his upper torso to face the mirror to his left. His eyes grew as big as saucers. He pulled out of Yoshiki, fell off the bed, and screamed.

“Goddamnit, hide!” Yoshiki’s frustrated scream was overridden by Miyavi’s.


	4. Now Miyavi's Crazy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's Miyavi's turn.

“Miyavi…Miyavi _please_ come out of there.”

“NO! FUCK YOU!”

Sugizo pounded on the bedroom door. “Hey! Watch your mouth! Luna’s still here! And she wants to know why her Uncle Meeve is acting weirder than normal!” He pounded on the door again for emphasis.

Little Luna wasn’t the only one who was confused. Her daddy was too. They had just come home and had removed their shoes when a screaming blur streaked past the upstairs hallway and slammed a bedroom door shut. He was followed shortly by a dripping Gackt who thankfully had the decency to wrap a towel around his waist. More than likely he remembered that Luna was visiting them for two weeks.

The lack of Yoshiki appearing brought Sugizo to the conclusion that the ruckus had something to do with him. But what? He thought that Yoshiki had planned nothing more than getting his deserved massage and maybe a little more from Miyavi while he spent time with his daughter.

Sugizo looked down at his daughter. She looked up at him, pigtails bouncing as she took turns gazing from him to the upstairs hallway. “Daddy? Why’s Unca Meeve running around like that? Didn’t Unca Yoshi tell him not too?”

He could only sigh and nod. He looked heavenwards and thanked whoever was listening that his daughter didn’t notice Miyavi’s state of undress. “I don’t know what’s going on with your Unca Meeve.” He gently pushed her towards the downstairs guest room where she was staying. “Here, why don’t you go play in your room while your uncles and I figure out what’s going on.” He took her fall jacket from her as she headed to her bedroom. “I’ll call you when we’re ready for supper, okay sweetie?”

“Okay, daddy!” With a skip she went into her room.

Now that too young eyes were out of the way, it was time for Sugizo to get to the bottom of this. He hung up both their jackets and placed their shoes neatly inside the foyer closet. He glanced in the mirror on the back of the door really quick to make sure that he didn’t get his pants dirty while playing tag with Luna. Something flickered in the reflection and he heard someone whistle appreciatingly and he spun around thinking maybe Yoshiki had appeared.

Nothing.

“Huh.” He checked the seat of his pants than closed the closet door. He stomped up the stairs two at a time. Going left down the hallway found him in front of Miyavi’s bedroom. There was Gackt, holding on to his towel with one hand while trying to jiggle the door open with the other.

“Come on, Miyavi. Let me in and tell me what’s wrong!” he attempted to convince Miyavi into opening the door. He looked over his shoulder when he heard someone coming up behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief; it was just Sugizo, not Luna, coming to see what was going on.

“NO! YOU’RE JUST AS CRAZY! THIS HOUSE IS HAUNTED AND TRYING TO DRIVE EVERYONE INSANE!” came Miyavi’s reply. His hysterical statement echoed faintly down the hallway.

The two men looked at each other and shrugged. The action caused Gackt’s towel to fall to the floor. Sugizo leered at the now naked vocalist. He made to grab him when Gackt slipped out of his grasp, yanking the towel off of the floor as he did so.

“You try to get him to talk. I’m gonna see what’s up with Yoshiki.” Gackt slung the towel over his shoulder and put a little sway into his step as he walked down the hallway.

Sugizo snapped his fingers and muttered, “damn,” before returning his attention to the other guitarist’s door. He tried the handle, knowing full well that the youngest of the group hadn’t unlocked it in the short time he was distracted.

And that was how the older guitarist found himself in front of Miyavi’s door alternating between trying to talk him out of the room and berating him for his language while his daughter was just downstairs. He was seriously contemplating facing Yoshiki’s wrath and breaking down the door when a hand appeared on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you figure out something for us to eat tonight, Sugi? I’ll go in there and talk to him.” 

Yoshiki’s hand fell off his shoulder as he turned around. “Are you sure? How are you even going to get in there? He has the door locked.” He spotted a now dressed Gackt heading downstairs calling out to Luna if she was hungry or not.

The drummer held up a set of keys. He jingled them before Sugizo’s eyes. “This is my house. What makes you think I don’t have copies of all the locks?” He smiled and gently shoved him out of the way. “Go on before Gackt makes something messy for Luna to snack on.”

Sugizo rolled his eyes and headed down the hallway. He paused at the banister to the stairs and looked back at Yoshiki who was trying to figure out which key he needed. “You know,” he grabbed his attention, “if the four of us weren’t together I would seriously be freaked out that you could sneak into my room at night and molest me or something.” He grinned and called for Luna as he walked down the stairs.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Sugi,” Yoshiki chuckled under his breath. He finally found the correct key and placed it into the keyhole. He knocked twice. “Miyavi. Miyavi, I’m coming in, alright?” He turned the key. Before he even had a chance to pull it out, the key moved on its own to relock the door.

“NO! I’M SEEING THINGS BECAUSE OF YOU!! I TOLD YOU THAT YOUR CRAZY WAS SPREADING!!” The door knob wiggled as Miyavi held tight to the knob on the other side. “OH KAMI-SAMA! WHY DID I AGREE TO JOIN YOU THREE?”

Yoshiki sighed and thumped his forehead against the door. All of Miyavi’s screaming was giving him a headache. All the work Miyavi had put into relieving the tense back was ruined. He placed both hands on the doorframe, letting the keys dangle from the lock. They were useless if Miyavi was standing there waiting for the lock to turn.

“Miyavi, _please_ open the door,” he whispered.

“No!” Miyavi yelled, only quieter this time. After nearly an hour of being locked in his room he had finally begun to calm down. The defeated tone in Yoshiki’s voice helped too. “Not until you tell me what the fuck that was in the mirror.”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“So do you know what’s up with him?” Sugizo questioned Gackt as the two of them fixed a snack for themselves and Luna. The two men were in the kitchen while Luna sat at the counter, drawing a picture for her daddy. She idly swung her feet back and forth while they talked about the forth member of their group.

Gackt shook his head. Oh sure, he had an idea. When his and Kami’s conversation was interrupted first by Miyavi’s scream then by hide running and hiding behind Kami, it was pretty obvious what happened. Yoshiki bursting into the bathroom dressed only in a pair of sweats hanging off his hips and an expression of pure rage helped too.

Not that he could tell Sugizo that it was all hide’s fault. No, that wouldn’t go over too well.

“I don’t know. Maybe Yoshiki wanted to try something different and it freaked Miyavi out?” he hazarded a guess. From Sugizo’s disbelieving look, he knew that the other man didn’t believe him for a second. He laughed and shrugged. “Yeah, I know. Miyavi not try something different? Maybe you should ask them once they come down.”

The other man nodded. “Okay.” He passed a plate with sliced carrots and celery, a ramkin of ranch dressing, and a PB&J sandwich cut in half diagonally to Luna. “Here ya go, babe. Snack time!” He took the sheets of paper and crayons from her. She pulled the plate closer as he went to the fridge and stuck her new drawings with the others on the door.

Gackt watched him try to find a place not covered. “I think we’re running out of room for your pictures, Luna-loo,” Gackt told the little girl. He smiled at her. “Where are we going to put your new drawings?”  When she looked over at her dad he snuck a carrot from her plate.

She glared at him for a split second before munching on her own. “We should put them on the wall in the living room!” she exclaimed. Her dad and Uncle Gackt grinned at each other. “What?”

“You’re absolutely right, Luna. Uncle Yoshiki needs some pictures in there, doesn’t he?” her daddy asked her. She nodded.

“Yes. It’s sooo boring in there! There’s nothing to look at!”

“Alrighty then. Finish your snack and you can help Uncle Gackt and me put these up in there.”

“Okay!”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Upstairs found both Yoshiki and Miyavi sitting down on either side of the door leaning against it. While Miyavi refused to admit it, Yoshiki had gathered that it wasn’t seeing hide that scared the younger man but just the fact that there was a ghost in the house period.

“Miyavi, are you afraid of ghosts?” Yoshiki asked him for the fifth time. He could hear the other man thump his head against the wood.

“…maybe…” he answered, knowing that he would be heard. “…just a little bit…kinda…”

“psst!”

What the… Miyavi raised his head and looked around his room. He could have sworn that he…was…alon-oh fuck…

“Hey there!” the image from before was in his mirror. “How’s it going, Miyavi?”

hide was in his fucking mirror, waving at him and smiling like a moron. “holy shit.” This can’t be happening.

“Miyavi?” he dimly heard Yoshiki call his name. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry, Yo-chan! He’s just sitting there staring at me for some reason!” hide yelled so that his friend could hear him. He turned his attention to the sitting guitarist. “You really should close your mouth since it’s not doing either of us any good.” hide winked at the young man.

Miyavi pointed at his mirror and turned his head to yell at Yoshiki.   “Yoshiki! YOSHIKI! HIDE’S IN MY MIRROR!!”

“What? hide! Don’t you dare scare him again!” Yoshiki yelled through the door, slamming his hand against it once in warning.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Sugizo’s head popped up when he heard the yelling start. It was slightly muffled but he could have sworn he heard Yoshiki say hide-san’s name. He looked over at Gackt who was holding Luna in his arms so that she could sticky one of her pictures to the wall. Neither of them seemed to notice the commotion so he went back to placing a drawing of the five of them that she’d drawn while waiting on her snack.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Look, kid. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I had just wanted to see what Yo-chan was up to since Gackt was busy talking with Kami.” hide held his hands out in a placating manner. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.”

Miyavi was still just sitting there staring at him. Granted his mouth wasn’t hanging open anymore. No with was opening and closing, trying to get words out but the brain wasn’t speaking with the tongue anymore, it seems.

hide was starting to get irked at that. And he was slightly entertained. That was exactly how Yoshiki had reacted to him when he first starting talking to him. Although Yoshiki just started babbling about hearing things and needing sleep.

The door being punched startled both of them into looking at it. They could just barely hear Yoshiki cussing.

“Ah, fuck! Miyavi, just talk to him already! I’m going downstairs to grab something to eat.”

They waited until they could no longer hear Yoshiki’s footsteps. Then they both turned to stare at each other. Miyavi swallowed his fear and stood up. He walked over to the dresser, snagging the bed sheet and wrapping it around his waist as he did so.

hide chuckled at the move. “Please! You don’t have anything I haven’t seen, if you know what I mean. Plus I did get quite the eyeful earlier. Ehehehe.”

Miyavi glared at the dead man in his mirror. “Yeah, thanks for that, by the way! Completely ruined the mood for me!” he raged at the man. He dropped the sheet and poked his finger against the mirror right over hide’s left cheek. His anger quickly changed to curiosity. “Kami? Gackt was talking to Kami?”

“Uh-huh,” hide nodded his head vigorously. “Why do you think he used the small bathroom attached to his bedroom? He wanted some privacy.”

“Oh, yeah? Well so did I,” Miyavi grumbled, crossing his arms. He unconsciously tilted his bare hips forward. When he noticed hide looking down he quickly leaned against the edge of the dresser.

hide snapped his fingers. “damn.”

“Sooo,” the younger man drawled. “Why, exactly, are you in my room?” He idly scratched at his cheek, hoping against all hope that he was imaging this. Although…there were a lot of pranks that he could pull on the others with hide’s help…

“What are you grinning at, Meevers?” hide placed his hands on his hips, thankful that it seems Miyavi had gotten over seeing him rather quickly. It had taken Yoshiki nearly a week to come to terms that hide was there to torment him forever.

Miyavi shifted his eyes to stare at the dead guitarist. “Oh nothing,” he sang. “Nothing at alllll!”

Kami’s head poked out from the side of the mirror. Miyavi jumped back, startled. He quickly calmed down and resumed leaning against the dresser. No point in letting another person see him naked without lending a helping hand, so to speak.

“Hello, Miyavi-san! Sorry, but I have to steal hide from you.” He smiled and grabbed hide’s arm, turning his smile to him. “We need to talk.”

“We do?” hide asked cluelessly.

“Yes, we do.” Kami yanked him out of view.

Miyavi rubbed the back of his head. “That didn’t sound good. Good luck, hide-sama. I think you’re going to need it.” He stepped away and rooted through his dresser for a pair of lounge pants. “Now it’s time to find Yoshiki and Gackt. We needs to have words.” He put the pants on and unlocked the door.

Walking through, he pulled the keys out of the lock and shut the door behind him. He whistled a random tune as he swung the ring around his finger. He paused when he was halfway down the staircase.

“I wonder if Sugizo knows about them yet?”

“If I know about who, Meeves?”

Miyavi smirked at the guitarist standing at the foot of the stairs. “Oh, no one, Sugi-kun.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did make Miyavi get over seeing hide-sama rather qickly but he strikes me as the kinda of person who would accept things like ghosts quickly so long as he knows they aren't out to get him. And I'm sorry, I don't know Luna's age, so she's around 6-7ish in this. I tried looking it up and all I got was, 'Sugizo has a daughter named Luna.' Well, duh!


	5. Jet-lag is to Blame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugizo finally finds out what Miyavi was talking about

“wakey, wakey, eggs and baccy,” a voice sing-songed it’s way into Miyavi’s dreams. The words warped his dream. Instead of making out with Sugizo, he was holding a huge piece of crisp bacon with two fried eggs as eyes. In his dream he shrugged and started munching on the food. Mmmm, yummy! Maybe he should wake up and eat something? Nah, too early.

“wakey, wakey, eggs and baccy.”  The eggs and bacon suddenly disappeared. Miyavi was hit with the urge to cry. It had tasted so good and now it was gone…  Someone was going to pay dearly for this!

“Oh, come on! What does it take to get you two up?” Ah ha! So it was _his_ fault!

Without even opening his eyes he knew without a doubt that it was too early for this. ‘Noooo,’ he groaned and rubbed his nose into the bare shoulder in front of him. ‘The sun’s barely up, I can tell.’ His arms tightened around his bed partner’s waist. ‘I’ll play with you later, hide. I promise.’

“Wakey, wakey! Yoshiki’s nakey!” the voice sang louder. The words ‘Yoshiki’s’ and ‘nakey’ caught his dozing mind’s interest.

‘Eh? He is, is he?’ The younger man let his hands wander down from Yoshiki’s waist. ‘Yup, still is!’ He smirked as Yoshiki began to wriggle against him. ‘And what do ya know? So am I!’ He wrapped one hand around Yoshiki’s morning erection while the other stroked a bare thigh. The smirk shifted into a grin when he heard the other man’s breathing hitch in his throat.

“Ah, man! What’s up with this? If you’re gonna start doing the dirty could you at least lower the blanket so I can watch?!” hide whined, hands and nose pressed flat against the other side of the mirror. Seriously, what are they thinking? Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean that he’s dead dead.

Miyavi stopped. Yoshiki groaned in disappointment and thrust his hips forward, encouraging him to resume. The younger man looked over his shoulder at the mirror. “Nope!” he exclaimed evilly. “That’s what you get for the other day!”

He grabbed the covers and threw them over his head, concealing them from sight. He cackled at hide’s cry of despair and returned his attention to the drummer lying before him. Miyavi began stroking Yoshiki’s cock in earnest now. He stuck two fingers into the drummer’s mouth, making it impossible for him to stifle his moans of pleasure. ‘All the more to torture you with,’ he thought to the ghost. He slowed down, drawing out each moan from his lover.

Yoshiki, on the other hand, wished that Miyavi would hurry it up already. The first thing that crossed his mind, besides what skillful hands he was in, was that he had to be at work in about 2 hours. One of his own hands encircled Miyavi’s and helped him speed things up. The other reached back and caressed Miyavi’s ass. Within minutes he came murmuring Miyavi’s name around his fingers.

While laying there catching his breath, he decided not to be heartless and returned the favor. After all he still had a little over an hour and a half now. He flipped around, pushing the younger man into the mattress. The startled look on his face was priceless. ‘I should do this more often,’ he thought as he swallowed Miyavi without warning. He hummed around the pulsing flesh in his mouth. Hands tangled themselves in his hair as his own went to Miyavi’s hips to keep the younger man from thrusting up and choking him.

hide groaned again. With the way that Miyavi had his knees bent, he could barely see Yoshiki’s head bob up and down. The covers hid just about everything that Yoshiki did under there. Thankfully hide had an excellent imagination not to mention even better memory. His Yo-chan always did know how to give head.

He rubbed his aching erection through his pants. The way that Miyavi arched his back every so often, the way gasps forced his mouth open, the way that he licked his lips in between was mesmerizing. He watched as one hand came out from beneath the covers to grasp the headboard behind him. A grin spread itself across his face.

There was only one way to pay them both back for tormenting him like this. Toshi had done it to him several times in the past. hide opened his mouth and yelled.

“Holy shit, Yo-chan! It’s 6:30! You’re going to be late for work!”

Seconds later found a naked Yoshiki running for the bathroom, clothes miraculously in hand, and a pillow flung by Miyavi at hide who was laughing hysterically.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Let’s see….Hmmm…I spy with my little eye something….round that’s purple and pink.”

Luna looked around her room. “Round and purple and pink,” she repeated quietly. Ten seconds later she ran over to the corner of her room. There she picked up her bouncy ball from the dresser. She skipped back to her mirror on the back of her bedroom door. “Is this it?” She held the ball up for inspection.

“Yes! Good job, Luna!” Kami clapped his hands together happily. “Okay, your turn! Look in the mirror for something.” He stepped to the side so she could see his part of her room better.

“Ummm,” she put a tiny hand to her chin as she thought. “I spy something fuzzy and brown!”

Kami pretended to look really hard while she watched. He held up several objects that were either fuzzy or brown but not both. This elicited a giggle out of the child each time with a, “No, no! That’s not it! Try again!”

He finally stood still in the middle of the mirror, chin in hand as he thought of what it could possibly be. “Ah ha!” he exclaimed. He walked over to her bed and picked up the stuffed teddy that Miyavi had won her at the fair they had gone to during her first week here. “Is it Kumo-chan?” he asked, cradling the bear to his chest.

“Yeah!   That took you a looong time, Kami-kun! Maybe I should pick something easier next time?” She looked up at him. He smiled down at her and put her bear back on the bed. “That might be a good idea, Luna-chan. You sure know how to pick the hard ones!” he nodded at her.

“Okay!”

Right before Kami was going to pick out something for her to find a knock sounded on her door. Kami quickly disappeared when she ran over to open it. Her daddy stuck his head in.

“Hey, babe. Whacha doing?” He reached down and ruffled her hair.

She heard a faint ‘shhing’ noise coming from behind the door.    She smiled up at Sugizo. “Nuthin’, daddy. I’m just playing.”

“Alright. I have to leave for a bit to run some errands. You wanna come along? You can help me with the grocery shopping.”

“Okay!” She bounced up and down, thrilled to get to ride in the cart while helping her daddy put things in it. If she was lucky and very good he might let her get that ice cream that she loved. Then she’d just have to figure out how to keep Unca Meeves from eating all of it.

Sugizo looked at what she was wearing. “Pick out something to wear, okay? You can’t go out in your PJs.” He started to close the door then paused. “Do you need any help, baby?” When she shook her head he nodded. “Alright. Lemme know when you’re ready and I’ll brush out your hair.” He closed the door firmly behind him.

She waited all of five seconds before pressing her face against her mirror. “Kami-kun?” she whispered. “Kami-kun, are you still there?”

“Yes, Luna-chan. I’m still here.” She spun around and ran over to her dresser mirror where Kami was patiently waiting for her. “What do you need, sweetheart?”

“Daddy and I are going out to shop! I don’t know what to wear!”

He motioned to the closet door. “Well open up your closet and let’s see what you’ve got, shall we?”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Back in Miyavi’s bedroom, the youngest member of SKIN was having a very serious conversation with hide. Since three out of four knew about the two men existing in the mirrors it was only fair to include the fourth member. But how? Sugizo looked up to hide while he was alive and was just about as devastated as Yoshiki when he had passed.   So how exactly were they going to do this?

“Well, me jumping out and yelling ‘BOO!’ is probably _not_ a good idea, Meevers.” hide placed one hand on his hip while the other scratched the back of his head. “He’s young but not too young to have a heart attack if I do that.”

“True.” Miyavi placed his hands together in his lap. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed clad only in a pair of boxers. “You could pull tricks on his reflection to slowly get him used to stuff happening in them.”

“Yeah, that might work,” he said thoughtfully, imaging all the things he could do to the younger man. “Hopefully he’ll have a better reaction than you did.” He leered at the young man across from him. “Not that I minded watching you streak outta the room or anything.”

“You’re just jealous!” Miyavi stretched himself out on the bed, purposefully groaning as he arched his back.

“You’re such a fucking tease, boy!” hide’s eyes traveled up and down the exposed flesh, comparing the way that the sunlight made it glow from this morning’s showing. “But that’s okay. I have Kami.”

Miyavi jerked back up, eyes curious. “You have Kami? How does that work?” He was seriously intrigued by the direction the conversation was going.

“Well, you see, Meevers, when one man really loves another man-“ He held up his hands to make the appropriate gestures.

“Or is just really horny like you,” Kami cut in, appearing next to hide. “I think Miyavi-kun already knows how the sex talk goes. Come on. You and I gotta go, Sugizo’s on his way over.”

“Uh-huh.” hide winked at the silently laughing man on the bed. “Catch ya later!” The two of them disappeared right when Sugizo knocked on his door.

“You decent?” he called.

“Never!” replied Miyavi.

“Sweet,” the older guitarist said as he opened the door. He paused before entering the room. Miyavi was just sitting on his bed leaning back on his hands…doing nothing. He wasn’t playing music loudly, wasn’t fiddling with his guitar. He was just…sitting there…smiling at him.

Sugizo was more than slightly creeped out. That boy was planning something.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, Luna and I are going out. Last stop’s food. You wanna come along?” He kept his hand on the door knob incase Miyavi tried anything he could quickly back out and slam the door shut.

“Sure! Lemme get some clothes.”

Sugizo nodded and closed the door. “See ya in half an hour,” he muttered shaking his head in amusement. That boy wouldn’t need just clothes. There’s also all the piercings and rings and necklaces to think about as well.

As he walked past the hallway mirror he could have sworn he saw someone grab at his ass. He leaned back and looked closer. Nope, just him staring at himself. Huh. Maybe he should lay off the late nights with Gackt. The lack of sleep must be getting to him.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~  
Several hours later found them coming in the front door. They had stopped at the post office to mail some gifts to their friends back in Japan, then the mall to buy Luna some new wintery clothes for when she came back to visit in December. A quick stop at McDonalds for lunch followed soon after. Once they were done eating they grabbed extra to take to the two stuck in the studio. When Sugizo asked the two workaholics what they wanted from the grocery store, they expressed their concern for Sugizo’s mental health.

“Are you sure you want to go there with two children in tow by yourself?” Yoshiki had asked him, a grin not quite suppressed.

While Miyavi fumed Luna giggled and wrapped her arms around her daddy’s waist. “He might forget something if we’re not there, Unca Yoshi!”

Yoshiki knelt down so he was eye level with Luna. “Are you going to help him keep Uncle Miyavi from buying all the chocolate?” When she nodded he patted her on the head. “Good girl, Luna. Uncle Gackt and I’ll try to be home in time for dinner tonight. But we’re working out some kinks in a coupla songs, so no promises.”

She frowned at him. “Okay, but you have to eat all your lunch!” When they both agreed she informed her dad and uncle that they could leave now. That ice cream was calling her name. Loudly.

Sugizo lost a few hairs while they were shopping at the grocery store. Luna was safe sitting in the cart, or so he thought, while Miyavi would flit in and out of sight. Every few minutes he would reappear trying to put boxed cake mix and icing into the cart. His little girl would pull things off of the shelves while he had his back turned. He was constantly assaulted by twin pairs of puppy eyes begging for extra sweets.

They wound up returning to Yoshiki’s home with nearly $30 of snack food to hide from Yoshiki and Gackt. The two may deny it, but they loved the sweets just as much as the others.

The trio walked into the house with their arms laden with bags. Even little Luna. She carried one bag filled with her half tub of ice cream and a package of chocolate chip cookies.  Miyavi had three bags on each arm while Sugizo carried in the rest with four hanging off of one arm and five on the other.

They all kicked off their shoes and unloaded everything onto the kitchen counter. As they put the food away Miyavi sang nonsense with Luna, making up a song about candy and cake and everything sweet. Sugizo smiled as the two sang off key together. He was going to miss this come next week when he had to take her to Japan for her to stay with her mother until December. A sigh escaped him. Who was going to keep Miyavi company on his off days for two whole months?

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

A week passed faster than Sugizo thought possible. Tomorrow was the day when he would take her to the airport and fly with her to Japan. While he really wasn’t looking forward to it, she deserved to visit her mother. He was just thankful that her mother agreed to them having joint custody of Luna.

It was now evening and Miyavi and Gackt were trying to wear Luna down by playing tag with her in the backyard. Their giggling and yelling at each other drifted in through the partially opened porch door. He leaned against the frame; hands in pockets, as he watched Gackt purposely run slowly after Luna and Miyavi. Apparently he was ‘it’.

He laughed out loud when she crawled under the picnic table out of his reach.

It was just after eight in the evening and Yoshiki should be returning home from the studio soon. He had called earlier in the day and had informed them that he would be staying no later than eight o’clock to finish up some paperwork that he’d been putting off in favor of new songs. One of those songs was the one that Miyavi and Luna sang at the grocery store. It was going to be a surprise for her when she came back for Christmas.

Sugizo used his shoulder to push away from the door frame. He turned and walked into the kitchen. As he passed yet another mirror this house boasted he could have sworn he heard a man laughing quietly. He peeked out the porch door from where he was standing. Miyavi had Luna in his arms and was spinning around quickly. But he wasn’t laughing. Gackt was leaning against the picnic table, glass of tea raised to his lips.

He tilted his head to the side when he heard the laugh again. It sounded so familiar. Yet neither of the men out there was laughing. Gackt was drinking his tea and Miyavi was talking quietly with Luna.

What the hell?

He shrugged his shoulders. Crazy stuff like that had been happening all week. Either he was going crazy like Miyavi said Yoshiki was, or he was just imaging things. He continued on to the kitchen trying hard to ignore the laughing coming from the mirror.

Fridge doors were opened, shelves scanned, before items were pulled out and set on the counter. Cans of vegetables were plucked out of the cabinets above the counter. He began mixing the ingredients together and placed them all in the pan. He wrapped foil over the top and placed it in the oven. The timer on the microwave was set. By the time Yoshiki got home dinner would be ready and they could all sit down and watch their last movie together.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

By ten o’clock they were all ready for bed. Bellies were full from dinner and ice cream, the movie was good, and each was tired from their day’s activities. Well, besides Miyavi. No one knew where he got his energy from. Everyone went to their separate rooms to change for the night. They had all learned early on that Luna liked to get up early and sometimes snuggle up to one of them if they forget to lock the door.

Sugizo ushered Luna into the bathroom on the main floor to brush her teeth. The two of them stood side-by-side in front of the mirror brushing their teeth. Sugizo had one hand braced against the sink while the other held the toothbrush. Luna copied him, standing on her footstool just so she’d stand as high as his chest. She had her arm braced against the sink and mimicked him, smiling around her toothbrush.

Once they were done, he started to lead her to her bedroom when she pulled on his pajama pants.  He looked down at her to see what was wrong. When he saw the tears in her eyes he scooped her up into his arms and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” he asked, rubbing her back.

“I don’t wanna go,” she said, sniffling into his shoulder. “I wanna stay with you and Unca Meeve and Unca Gaku, and Unca Yoshi.” She tightened the grip she had on his neck.

Not surprised in the least, he asked, “But I thought just last night you told me that you missed your mommy? Don’t you wanna see her and her boyfriend?” He began walking around the main floor, lightly bouncing her up and down like he did when she was a baby.

She nodded into his shoulder. “Uh-huh. But I won’t get to see any of you for so looong!”

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll call you every week, okay? And I’ll tell your uncles to do the same. How’s that? Then you can at least talk to us until you come back for Christmas.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I sleep with you guys tonight?”

“Yeah, baby. You can. Go grab your teddy and come up stairs. I’ll let your uncles know.” He put her down and watched her trudge into her room with her head down. He sighed and went up the stairs to Yoshiki’s bedroom.

The other three were already settled in the bed. The bedside lights were on, waiting for him to join them. Yoshiki was already half asleep while Miyavi and Gackt were kissing each other good night. They looked up when he entered. Both smirked at him and beckoned him to bed. He shook his head.

“You guys don’t mind if Luna sleeps with us tonight, do you? She’s really sad about leaving tomorrow.” He stayed by the door waiting for his daughter to get there.

The two still awake looked at him then each other. Miyavi shrugged and shook his head. Gackt looked over at Sugizo and said that he didn’t mind either. As soon as he said that Luna came in. Sugizo scooped her up in his arms again and gently flung her onto the bed between Miyavi and Gackt. Yoshiki murmured something and rolled onto his side, asleep within seconds.

Luna giggled quietly and crawled over Gackt and kissed Yoshiki on the cheek. “Night-night, Unca Yoshi,” she whispered. Then she turned to face Gackt and did the same to him. He kissed her on the head and wished her a good night as well. Miyavi grabbed her from Gackt’s lap and placed a wet kiss on her cheek. She squealed and wiped it off her cheek and onto his.

When Sugizo climbed into bed between Yoshiki and Gackt, she crawled over Gackt again to lie next to her daddy. She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. “Night-night, daddy.”

He kissed her on the cheek and hugged her to his chest. “Good night, baby. You have everything packed for tomorrow, right?” At her nod he said, “Alright. We’ll go out, you, Unca Yoshi and me to get breakfast and then the airport. Okay?”

She yawned and nodded. “Can we get McDonalds?” she asked, nearly asleep before finishing her sentence.

Someone chuckled at her question. Since Miyavi had turned off the lights it was nearly impossible to tell who it was. “Yes, Luna. We’ll go to McDonalds. Then your Unca Yoshi and I are going to have a talk about all this fast food he’s getting you hooked on.”

She merely snuggled closer to him in her sleep, her nose buried in the soft fur of her teddy bear.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Thanks for driving us, Yoshi-kun,” Sugizo said. He had to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the wind roaring past them.

Yoshiki smiled and him and said, “You’re welcome,” before returning his attention to the road.

They were almost to the airport now. Their morning had been spent making sure that Luna had everything packed and loaded into Yoshiki’s convertible.   Goodbyes had been said and everyone had gotten at least two hugs and kisses from Luna before they bundled her into the car. Then they spent nearly an hour at McDonalds waiting in line for their food then sitting down to eat it.

Luna frowned when she spotted the sign for the airport. She really didn’t want to leave. Kami and hide had both told her this morning that they would try to come see her, but since her mom stayed at home it would be a little difficult for them to play together. She wished it was December already so that they could go back to Unca Yoshi’s house. They’d only said their goodbyes a little over an hour ago and already she missed them.

Sugizo looked over his shoulder at Luna. His little girl had been so quiet since they left the house this morning. He could understand her being sad, but even then she wasn’t normally this quiet. He hoped that when she got to Japan and was with her mother that she’d perk up a bit.

If she didn’t on her own, he knew that her other two uncles had slipped some candy into her carryon bag to help cheer her up.

Yoshiki parked his car in the parking garage. He was slightly irked that they had to go all the way to the top level to find a free space. He popped the trunk and pulled out Luna’s suitcase and carryon. The suitcase was handed over to Sugizo since it put more strain on Yoshiki’s wrist to carry. They each grabbed a hold of Luna’s hands and walked towards the elevator.

As they walked towards the terminal they would swing Luna back and forth. It was a little awkward with Yoshiki being mindful of his wrist, but she still had fun. Her daddy took most of her weight when they swung her. Her giggling was infectious and had both her daddy and Unca Yoshi smiling down at her.

When they reached the area where her plane was waiting the giggling stopped. She planted her feet on the ground, causing both adults to jerk back a little. She tugged on Yoshiki’s hand until he got the hint and knelled down. Letting go of her daddy’s hand she wrapped both arms around his neck and hugged him. “I’ll miss you, Unca Yoshi,” she told him as he kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ll miss you too, sweetie.” He returned her hug, squeezing her tight. “You make sure you draw us plenty of pictures to hang up in the living room, alright?” When he had first spotted all the drawings hanging up in his living room he had been more than surprised. He was slightly angry that things had been rearranged in his house without asking him. But seeing the pleased look on Luna’s face when she told him that she picked out where they went he just couldn’t muster up the willpower to tell her they had to come down.

Ah, he was getting to be such a softy in his old age.

When she let him go he turned to Sugizo and gave him a quick hug as well. “I’ll see you when you get back, ne? Do you need a ride back to the house?” Even though it was Saturday Yoshiki and the others had plans to be in the studio working.

“Nah,” Sugizo told him. “I’ll just grab a taxi or something.” He leaned down and lifted Luna up, twirling her around to get a laugh out of her. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.” He settled her on his hip and grabbed the carryon from Yoshiki. “Give him one more kiss goodbye, baby. Then we’ll be off.” He leaned her towards the producer so she could do so.

Yoshiki wound up getting a kiss from each of them at the same time. He laughed and ruffled her hair before waving them off.

“Have a pleasant trip, you two.”

“Baibai, Unca Yoshi!!”

“See ya later today, Yoshi-kun!”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

‘Kami-sama, I hate doing this,’ was Sugizo’s first thought as he got off the plane in LA. He had just spent nearly 21 hours flying from LA to Tokyo back to LA. When they’d left LA it had been a little after 11 in the morning. After leaving Tokyo at 5:30 Sunday evening he got back and it was just after 10 in the morning on Saturday.

His body was very unhappy with all the time zones crossed and conflicting with his brain on going to work still. A headache had developed as soon as he got on the return flight. The woman sitting next to him, while thankfully hadn’t recognized him, talked to him about nothing nearly the entire flight. He just wanted to go home, shower, change, and get to the studio with his lovers.

Since he didn’t have a bag he quickly cleared customs and hailed a taxi. He rested his head against the back of the seat after telling the driver where to go. After half an hour he was home. As soon as he stepped inside he pulled out his cell phone and called the number for Yoshiki’s office. His receptionist asked him to hold while she hunted down his lover.

He stumbled a bit when he tried to toe off his shoes and had to brace himself with the wall. Taking a quick nap was beginning to sound like a good idea. He told Yoshiki when he finally answered that he would be in after cleaning up. Opening the closet door he kicked his shoes inside the closet. The movement in the mirror caught his eye and he looked over, still talking to Yoshiki, and saw his reflection waving at him. The reflection wasn’t even leaning over like he was. It was standing upright with one hand on his hip waving at him and smiling like a dork.

He blinked and tilted his head to the side. ‘That’s not normal,’ he thought.

“Sugizo? You still there?”

He quickly blinked his eyes and his reflection returned to normal. Damned jet-lag. “Yeah, I’m here. Sorry. You were saying?” He was pretty sure Yoshiki was telling him something before he had been distracted.

“Are you sure you want to come in today?” Yoshiki’s voice held a hint of concern mixed with apprehension. They all knew firsthand how troublesome flying back and forth from the US to Japan was.

Sugizo nodded, not realizing that Yoshiki couldn’t see it at first. He trudged up the stairs as he verbally reassured Yoshiki that he would be fine. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be in in about an hour. I need to shower first. This woman that was sitting next to me was wearing way too much perfume to be healthy.” He raised his right arm that was closest to the woman and sniffed at the sleeve. He made a face and pulled away. “Oh, yeah, I need a shower. I don’t think that just changing clothes will help.”

The bathroom attached to his bedroom was bright enough that he didn’t bother turning on the lights when he entered. He listened as Yoshiki talked about everything that was going on at the studio. He made the appropriate noises when asked a question about tour dates and scheduling of photo shoots. His shirt was halfway off when he looked into the mirror above the sink.

He pulled the cell phone away from his ear and shook his head, eyes tightly closed.

Opening his eyes slowly he put the phone against his ear. “Yo-Yoshiki?” his voice trembled slightly when he spoke.

“Sugi? What’s wrong?” Yoshiki was more than slightly worried. Sugizo never sounded that bad after flying nonstop.

“There’s something…wrong with the mirror.” Sugizo backed away from the sink. His eyes widened when his reflection didn’t copy his moves. “Is this some kind of trick?” he demanded.

Now Yoshiki was puzzled. Trick? “What are you talking about, Sugi?” He had the phone clutched to his ear as he stood up from behind his desk.

“What the fuck is going on with the mirrors, Yoshiki?” He spun around so that he wasn’t facing it anymore. A headache from jet-lag was one thing but it never _ever_ caused him to hallucinate.

“Hey, Sugizo.”

Oh shit. Now he was hearing things again. He had thought that was just because he was slightly depressed about Luna leaving. He turned around, ignoring the questions being asked of him from the other end of the phone.

“Um, please, please don’t freak out okay?” his reflection pleaded with him. His hands were raised in a placating manner and a small smile was on his face.

“What they fuck are you?”

“Ano, well you see…” his reflection scratched at his hair, clearly uncomfortable with what was going to be said.

The ‘Ano,’ part did it. The voice had been so familiar. All week long he had been trying to place where he’d heard the voice before but had denied it each time. It was impossible. Ghosts and spirits didn’t really exist. Gackt only said things like that for publicity.

Right?

“I’m me. Sugizo, it’s me, hide. You know, your old drinking buddy.” Sugizo watched more than a little panicked as his reflection shifted shape and color. He couldn’t hear Yoshiki yelling at him, the cell phone held limply in his hand by his side.

“Holy shit,” he just barely managed to whisper. hide was in the mirror. hide was in the _fucking_ mirror waving at him and smiling sheepishly. “oh kami-sama.”

hide smiled at that. “He’s here too! Kami! Kami-chan! Come here! Sugizo wants to say hi to ya!” hide disappeared for a whole two seconds before reappearing with Kami in tow. The other man looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Sugizo couldn’t tear his eyes away from the mirror.

“Hey Sugizo. How was your flight?”

The man didn’t make a noise as he fell back, completely passed out before cracking his head on the tile floor.

“Oh shit! Sugizo! Are you okay?”

“Sugizo! What’s going on?”

“Yoshiki, can you hear me?!”

“hide? What’s going on?”

“Just come home now! Sugizo passed out! There’s blood on the floor!”

“Shit!”

Click. The line went dead as Yoshiki hung up. The light faded from the open cell phone lying on the floor next to Sugizo’s hand. Kami and hide huddled next to each other, hands pressed against the mirror, helpless to do anything for Sugizo while they awaited the arrival of Yoshiki.


	6. Silence, Naps, and Yoshiki Gets a Clue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugizo comes home, nightmares abound, and make-up sex makes everything better.

****

“Your friend will be fine, Mr. Hayashi.  He has a mild concussion and four stitches in the back of his head.”

“But there was so much blood.  All that was from a small cut?”

“Yes.  Head wounds do tend to bleed a lot.”

“When can I take him home with me?”

The doctor sighed.  “I want to keep him overnight to make sure that there are no complications.  If you wish you may come back tomorrow around noon to take him home.  Someone will have to stay with him in case he experiences any side effects.”

“That’s fine.  What kind of side effects?”

“He will more than likely experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision.  He may also have difficulty remembering what happened before he hit his head, difficulty focusing on conversations or tasks.”

Yoshiki rubbed a hand over his eyes.  He nodded when the doctor asked if he was alright.  “I’m fine.  It’s just that Sugizo is a musician.  The focusing issue may piss him off.”

“Don’t worry.  Like I said, the concussion is mild.  All side effects should disappear over the course of the next few days or weeks.  He’ll be fine.”  The doctor laid a hand on Yoshiki’s shoulder.  “I suggest that you go home for now and rest.  He’ll still be here when you come get him tomorrow.”

“Alright.  May I see him first?”

“Of course.  Nurse Emma here will take you to him.  I ask that you stay no longer than 5 minutes.  We’re going to be waking him every hour so he’s going to need all the rest he can get.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Miyavi and Gackt arrived home the same time as Yoshiki.  They were both a little confused as to why Yoshiki had not only left work three hours early, but had completely forgotten to pick them up since he was the driver this morning.  Neither of them enjoyed riding in taxis.

Crazy American drivers.

“Oi!  Yoshiki!  What the hell’s going on?” Miyavi asked as the older man stormed past him.

Gackt reached out and grabbed Yoshiki’s arm right above the wrist.  A stain on his sleeve had caught his attention when Yoshiki had slammed his car door shut.  “Is that…blood on your shirt?”

The irate drummer jerked his arm out of Gackt’s grasp.  “Yes, it is.  Someone decided to let Sugizo know that he was around.”  He angrily walked up to the front door and pulled out his keys.

He was so angry that his hands were shaking.  Gackt reached around from behind and took them from him.  The right key was placed in the lock and turned.  He held the knob when Yoshiki tried to open the door.

“So Sugizo knows that Kami and hidè are here.  I thought we were going to tell him anyways.  Why are you so upset about that?”  Gackt placed himself in front of the door.  There was no way in Hell he was going to let one of his lovers into the house and yell at their companions.  He rather enjoyed their company.

“Because,” Yoshiki ground out, “since Sugizo had just spent the last 21 hours on a plane he was severely jet-lagged.  When hidè made himself known Sugizo passed out and cracked his head open on the tile.  That’s where the blood came from.”  He barely acknowledged the gasp coming from Miyavi.  “Sugizo’s in the hospital right now for a concussion until noon tomorrow when I can go and release him.  Now if you’ll excuse me,” he tried to push the vocalist out of his way.  “I have to clean the blood off of the bathroom floor.”

Gackt allowed himself to be pushed to the side when he saw the expression on Miyavi’s face over Yoshiki’s shoulder.  With that guilty look he knew that Miyavi was somehow involved in this.  He crooked his finger in the direction of the youngest.  Gackt whispered something into Miyavi’s ear.  When he nodded, they turned and entered the house.

They followed Yoshiki into the kitchen.  He was bent over pulling paper towels and disinfecting spray out from underneath the kitchen sink.  When he stood and turned Gackt was standing right in front of him.  The vocalist took both items from his hands and handed them to Miyavi.  The youngest took them quietly and headed upstairs.

Gackt didn’t say a word as he took hold of Yoshiki’s arm and lead him into the living room.  He pushed him to sit on the couch.  He sat down on the coffee table in front of him; purposefully ignoring the glare sent his way for doing so.  Yoshiki tried to get up only to be pushed back down.

“Gackt,” he growled, warning clear in his tone.

The vocalist shook his head.  “No, Yoshiki.  You’re not going anywhere or doing anything until you calm down.”  He looked Yoshiki straight in the eyes.  “You said that this was hidè’s fault, yes?”  He waited until the other man nodded.  “And he’s the one who had to stand there and watch helplessly while Sugizo just laid there bleeding all over?”  Another nod.  “So what makes you think you need to yell at him?”

“He-“

“He had to stand there and do nothing.  He could not help Sugizo.  He had to wait until you got home, until you called for help, until the paramedics came and took him away.  He…couldn’t…do… _anything_ to help.”  He paused to let the words sink in.  “I think he feels bad enough as it is.  You yelling at him won’t make things better.   It may actually make things worse.”

Yoshiki lowered his eyes and rubbed shaky hands over his face.  His fingers threaded through his hair, pulling it back from his face.  He looked up at his lover, slightly confused.  “How come you aren’t angry?”  His voice was strained from forcing himself not to jump up and do exactly what Gackt was telling him not to do.  His words made sense, but he had to do something.  He had to yell, break something, cry, something!

There had been so much blood…

Gackt reached out to cradle Yoshiki’s face in his hands.  He could feel the older man trembling.  It was mean but he silently thanked whoever was listening that he wasn’t the one to find Sugizo passed out and bleeding.  Yoshiki may be the more sensitive of their group, but just to find your lover deathly still like that…

“Because I’m more worried than angry.”  He leaned in until their foreheads were touching.  “I’m worried about how hard he hit his head.   I’m worried about how hidè’s taking this since he was powerless to do anything to fix it.”  He took a deep breath and used the ace up his sleeve, so to speak, to get Yoshiki focused on something else.  “I’m worried about how Miyavi is taking this since he’s up there cleaning up the blood.  It’s his punishment, after all, for coming up with this idea.”

He watched as Yoshiki’s eyes became unfocused for a split second.  “Miyavi?”  Without warning Yoshiki jumped up from the sofa and strode up the stairs taking them two at a time.  “Miyavi?” he called out as he reached the top of the stairs.

His eyes followed Yoshiki’s retreating form until he disappeared down the upstairs hallway.  Only once he was out of sight did Gackt drop his face into his hands.  He sighed, shoulders slumping.  ‘It figures that something bad had to happen,’ he thought.

He took a moment to compose himself before going up the stairs to check on his two lovers.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

The next day

The drive back from the hospital was a quiet one.  Yoshiki was driving with Gackt in the passenger seat next to him.  In the back Miyavi sat next to a newly released Sugizo.  All of them wore their sunglasses to protect their eyes from the harsh sun.  The dark lenses also served to hide quick glances they stole of each other.  Except for Sugizo who had his head resting against the back of the seat, eyes closed, with an arm flung outside the window.  The warm rays of the sun clashed with the chill of the breeze helping to keep the injured man semi-awake.

Once they got home Miyavi took the older guitarist by the arm and lead him into the house.  He never made eye contact as he helped Sugizo change out of the jeans and t-shirt they had brought along for him to wear out of the hospital.  Nor did he look at his face when he pulled a pair of boxers out and helped him into those.

When he settled Sugizo into his bed, doctor’s orders of plenty of rest, he turned to walk away.  Sugizo’s hand grasping his wrist stopped him in his tracts.  He faced the prone musician with his head hung and shoulders slumped.  Neither man spoke as he stood there with his wrist trapped in Sugizo’s hand.

Finally the pain meds from the hospital were beginning to cause Sugizo’s eyelids to lower.  Giving up on Miyavi taking the hint he pulled.  Miyavi fell onto the bed with a most undignified squawk.  He landed on top of Sugizo who wrapped his arms around him.  After a brief struggle he sighed and lay out on top of Sugizo with his face buried in his shoulder.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Yoshiki’s footsteps echoed quietly as he walked down the hall of his studio.  It was late, extremely late, but he didn’t want to go home.  He couldn’t stand to face the glare from Gackt, or the pitiful sadness on Miyavi’s face, and most certainly could not answer Sugizo’s confused questions.  Not tonight.  Work alone had been more than he could manage.  Although there was another reason why he refused to answer he the others attempted to call him home.

There weren’t as many mirrors here as there are in his house.

He walked, or more accurately shuffled down to his office, head hung low and hands shoved deep into his pockets.  He knew without a doubt that while Miyavi and hidè had both apologized to him several times for their little stunt, he just couldn’t seem to let it go.

Maybe it was because of the bloodstained button down still laying at the bottom of the clothes hamper.  It’s been sitting there for over a week now and he still hasn’t tossed it out.

It’s not his fault though.  Every time he goes to does the laundry tossing that thing out is the first thing on his mind.  But as soon as his fingers brush against the material his mind drags up memories of him kneeling next to the unconscious guitarist holding a towel against his head with one hand while frantically yelling into the phone.  His pants with the blood soaked into the knees were right underneath the shirt.

He could still vividly recall how cold the blood was when it touched his knees and shins.

A shudder racked his frame as he collapsed into the leather chair behind his desk.

He sighed and rested his head in his hands.  His elbow bumped something and he wearily glanced over to see what it was.  Oh look it was his lunch.  He reached out a hand and poked at the wrapped double cheeseburger.  Solidified grease left a mark on the spot he touched.  He wrinkled his nose at the thought of the grease coating the meat patty.  He shrugged and pulled an ice cold French fry from its container and chewed on it while staring off into space.

He had to do something.  But what?  He did want Sugizo to know about hidè and Kami.  Really, he did.  The only question was how?  The poor man was just about clear of all the side effects of the concussion.  He merely suffered from more frequent headaches about every other day right now.  Although he was still convinced that he’d been hallucinating the morning he saw hidè in the mirror.

He had even told Yoshiki about it when he had gone in to visit him after he was admitted.  He had chuckled quietly and then rubbed his head groaning when the chuckle had increased his headache.

Yoshiki jerked violently when his pocket vibrated.  Heart pounding he yanked it out and checked the caller ID.  It was Gackt.

Again.

He threw the cell phone, the expensive cell phone, across the room.  He didn’t want to deal with the vocalist chastising him right now.  It was too late at night for him to have anything nice to say to the man.  He looked at his computer screen at the time and blinked.

‘Okay,’ he thought.  ‘I stand, er sit, corrected.  It’s too early.’  He frowned when the little numbers changed to 3:04 A.M.  ‘When did it get to be so late?’  A sigh escaped him as he put the rest of the fry in his mouth.  Not having his thoughts occupied allowed him to taste the cold grease mixing in with the cold potato.  He grimaced and spat it out in a napkin.

He let his head fall down onto his desktop with a resounding thunk.  The pain didn’t bother him.  In fact it let him stay awake while he went cross-eyed staring at the paperwork an inch from his eyes.  The words blurred.  Nothing made sense when he tried to read the black letters on the white paper.  He sighed and closed his eyes.  He knew better than to try reading things so close.

Stupid headaches.

He blindly reached over to the right, searching out the handle for the top drawer.  Once he pulled it open he patted around for the bottle of pain reliever.  Long fingers wrapped around it and took it out, popping the cap off with his thumb.  He tilted the bottle and shook out three onto his desk top.  He released the bottle without returning the cap and one after the other swallowed the pills dry.  It was a little difficult in the position he was in, but he’d had lots of practice.

He sighed again and waited for the medicine to kick in.  Five minutes later, he could feel the tension melting away, leaving a tingling sensation along his temples and shoulders.  He pillowed his head in his arms and smiled faintly.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~K~*~

It was around six in the morning when he finally made it home.  After working a little he decided to call it a night and stop at the drive through of the local McDonalds for a late night dinner/early morning breakfast before heading home.  Walking in through the front door he sucked down his sweet tea and tossed his coat in the direction of the front closet.

He was too tired to care about putting it and his discarded shoes away properly.  And it was his house anyways, damnit, he’ll do whatever he wanted with his belongings!  He took two steps before slumping his shoulders.  He put down his tea and bent over to pick up his jacket.  He toed the shoes into the closet and hung up his jacket.

He turned to close the door when something caught his eye.  He pulled the door open wide so the meager light from the living room would illuminate the door.  Brown eyes widened in shock when he saw what was wrong.

The full length mirror was missing.

Oookay.  That’s just a tiny bit odd.  ‘Don’t panic.  It might have been broken earlier yesterday while I was at work.’  Yoshiki closed the door.  He laid his palm against the cool wood of the door.  He breathed deeply.  ‘It’s okay.  There are other mirrors in the house.’

He trudged into the kitchen to dispose of his empty Styrofoam cup in the trash can beneath the sink.  He rested his hands on the counter, eyes drifting up to stare out the window.  His reflection watched him as he stood there, unmoving.  They tilted their heads to the side.  Something was wrong.  Something was off within his castle.

Silence.

That’s what was bothering him.  It was too quiet.

He and his reflection turned to look behind them.  The light above the sink allowed decent visibility in the kitchen but made it nearly impossible to see clearly into the living room and beyond.  Shadows covered everything, making Yoshiki regret ever watching any horror movie.  The blinds were closed and the curtains pulled shut.  He spun around slowly to face the darkness.

Nothing moved.

At least someone should have been up.  Sugizo would wake up around this time some days a week.  Gackt was always sure to be sleeping in when he could.  Miyavi always woke up around seven in the morning to watch early morning cartoons.  That boy did enjoy mocking the English translation of the old shows he used to watch back in Japan.

And even if none of them had woken by now, hidè would have been talking to him using the small mirror set up on the coun-

Where’s the mirror?

Where is it?

Frantically Yoshiki began pulling open drawers, shoving things aside.  One after the other drawers were roughly pulled open then slammed shut in frustration.  None of them contained the mirror.  He moved to the cupboards, repeating the motions.  He slammed the final door shut, tears welling up in his eyes.

He bent over, laying his head upon his folded arms.  His chest heaved as he fought from letting the heart-aching sobs escape.  If the others were still asleep, he prayed that his emotional tantrum hadn’t woken them.  His heart beat hard against the inside of his ribcage.  It threatened to pound out of his chest to twitch upon the counter, blood pooling under the abused muscle.

‘No.  Just calm down and go to bed.  You’re clearly just over-reacting to every little thing.’  Yoshiki sighed quietly and straightened.  He left the kitchen, keeping the light on should one of the others have need for it, and made his way to the stairs.

A flash of white lightning illuminated all the curtains.  The drummer paused on the stairway, one hand on the banister as he twisted his torso.  Brown eyes sought out the front windows as he awaited the oncoming thunder.  When it came his grip tightened on the smooth wood.  He frowned as continued up the stairs to warm sheets and warm bodies.

Once he reached the top he walked silently down the darkened hallway to the master bedroom.  His eyes were glued to the door at the end of the hallway.  Nothing else mattered to him now besides laying next to Sugizo and Gackt and Miyavi.  Nothing else mattered, not even the fact that he was still slightly upset with Miyavi.  It wasn’t the childish way in which he revealed hidè to Sugizo but the fact that he hadn’t warned Yoshiki.  If he had, he could have…Yoshiki could have done…

What could he have done?  He could be mad at both hidè and Miyavi, but it was pointless.  Yoshiki could have done nothing.  Sugizo wouldn’t have believed any of them if they’d told him that two ghosts inhabited the mirrors of his home and studio.  The only way to prove to him that it was real was to show them to him.  Would his reaction have been the same?  He was jetlagged when he came home; maybe that was the reason for his fainting.  Or was it?  He shook his head in confusion.

As he walked he slowly unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time.  His fingers slipped several times while trying to accomplish their task.  After they were finally undone he shrugged the pale garment off his shoulders, letting it hang around his elbows.  When he was in front of the bedroom door he tugged on the cuffs.  He allowed it to flutter to the ground, its impact sounding in the form of a sharp crack of thunder.

He grasped the knob to the bedroom and turned.  The door popped open.  He applied gentle pressure.  The door creaked open further, revealing the room encased in weak light and dark shadows.  Lightning struck, reflecting off several objects laying on the surfaces.  He blinked and flipped the light switch.

Shards.  Millions and millions of shards from his mirrors littered the floor, his bed, and dresser top.  Slim broken pieces of the mirror frames leaned against the side of the bed, the dresser, and on each other on the floor.  Yoshiki’s mouth hung open at the sight.  Someone had come into his bedroom, his sanctuary, and had thrown the mirrors about the room.  He leaned in, hands holding him at an angle from the doorframe.  There was something odd just underneath the bed.

Lightning struck again with thunder close behind it.  The resounding crack was so loud and so close that Yoshiki accidentally let go of the doorframe and fell.  Instinctively he put his hands in front of him to catch himself.  When all his weight landed on those hands the pressure behind the fall did something painful to both wrists.  He crumpled face first onto the floor.

Sharp edges of broken mirrors embedded themselves into the man’s flesh.  His hands, arms, chest, and right cheek were sliced open.  Blood began to seep from the wounds.  Yoshiki painfully pushed himself to his hands and knees.  Bits a mirror that had merely stuck to his skin fell, impacting its companions with little tinkling sounds.  In this position Yoshiki was better able to see what it was that was creeping out from underneath his bed.

Blood.

Thick, dark blood.  It pooled under the bed slowly soaking into the carpet.  The excess spread out claiming more and more of the white threads of carpet.  Some dripped down from the top of the bed as well.  Yoshiki crawled over to kneel beside the bed, uncaring and unfeeling of the pinpricks of broken mirror embedding themselves into his palms and knees and feet.  He pulled himself to his feet usinghis forearm on the bed as leverage.  More pieces of mirror slid to the floor when he placed his weight on the mattress.  The covers were grabbed and yanked back, flinging shards everywhere.

Empty.  The bed was just as empty as the house seemed when he’d come home.

A single shard of mirror lay directly in the center of the bed.  It appeared to be the source of all the blood.  Its surface was covered in it but Yoshiki could have sworn that he saw a reflection underneath.  He leaned over and tried to wipe the blood off with his fingers.  The pressure that action put on his wrist was not exceedingly painful but more uncomfortable at the least.  What he saw made him back up in shock and despair. 

“no.”  He covered his mouth with his wrist.  Teeth bit painfully into the wounded flesh, adding more pain, adding more blood to what was already falling from his body.  “no.  No.  NO!”  He turned and fled the room, thunder booming ever louder with each step he took.

He ran from the room, bits of mirror digging themselves into his bare soles.  He paid them no mind as he sped down the stairs trailing blood on the carpet and banister.  He attempted to yank the front door open to no avail.  It was locked and the blood on his hands made it impossible to twist the knob.  He screamed, pounded his fist one the door once then pivoted on his heel and made his way for the patio doors on the other side of the living room.

This door had a nice handle where one had to push down on it to open the door.  He flicked the lock and shoved down on the door handle.  All his weight went behind the shove he gave the door with his shoulder.  He wasn’t aware of the force behind this which resulted in him stumbling out into the back yard.

Water from puddles splashed about his ankles and soaked his jeans as he staggered out into the lawn.  Rain pelted his bared upper torso.  His hair was quickly matted to his face, half blinding him as he wearily lowered himself to the bench of the picnic table.  The huge droplets from the overhead tree branch plopped onto his flesh, washing away the blood slowly.  Lightning made it possible for Yoshiki to stare back at his house, at the lone light on in the upper floor.  The thunder occasionally drowned out the sound of Yoshiki’s heart beating in his ears.

Yoshiki lowered his head into his hands and wept.  He didn’t care about the pieces of mirror scratching against his cheeks.  He didn’t care about how close those pieces came to his eyes.  The pains of his wrists were minor to the pain he felt squeezing his lungs and heart.  Mud crept up in between his toes, mingling with the blood staining his feet.  He gave it no thought as the rain from both the heavens and the tree above him pounded down onto his unprotected back.

hidè was in that shard.  Just a little piece of him, staring out at Yoshiki.  There was blood on his face and he was mouthing something to the distressed drummer.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.  Over and over his lips formed the words to let Yoshiki know that he was truly sorry for what he’d inadvertently done to Sugizo.

I’m sorry.

Yoshiki’s fingers grasped his hair, tugging painfully on the wet strands.

I’m sorry.

His eyes were scrunched shut against both the physical and emotional pain.

I’m sorry.

His toes curled in the mud, knees bending, spine curling, making him as small as possible without falling off the bench.

I’m sorry.

Lightning flashed, making him see red behind closed lids.  Thunder cracked, rattling the windows of the houses around him.

I’m sorry.

“Yoshiki.”

I’m sorry.

“Hey.  Get up.”  Yoshiki quieted his sobbing at the voice.  Was it hidè?  Did he somehow manage to come out here in the rain?  Where had the voice come from?

I’m sorry.

“Come on, Yoshi.”  No, not hidè.  Someone else was calling him.  And there were only two, sometimes three, people that he knew of that called him that.  But no, the bed was empty, the house was empty.  They had left him for the childish way he has been acting.  They were the ones who probably broke all his mirrors.  So that way he wouldn’t have to worry about hidè or Kami bothering any guests that he brought over.

“Yoshi-chan,” the voice sing-songed to him.  “Let’s go home.”  The voice was so familiar.  He raised his head and hesitantly opened his eyes.

There in front of him was Gackt.  He stood there, rain not touching him not soaking into the leather jacket and jeans he wore.  His black boots were free of mud and grass.  He smiled down to the weepy drummer and placed his hand on Yoshiki’s shoulder.

“Come on, Yoshi-chan.  Let’s go.”

I’m sorry.

Yoshiki nodded at Gackt and the younger man helped him to his feet.  Just being close to one of his lovers again cleared some of the torment from his mind.  Granted this also allowed the more physical pain of his wounds to be recognized.  He reached out and grabbed Gackt’s arm for support.  The vocalist pried his finders off his arm and wrapped the arm around his shoulder, his own arm going around the thin waist.  His fingers hooked into the belt loop of the jeans to better hold the older man up.

“The others are waiting for us.  Let’s go home.”

“okay,” Yoshiki whispered.

Forgive me, Yo-chan.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Yoshiki!”

Yoshiki bolted upright in his chair.  He blinked several times trying to clear his blurred vision.  A hand was on his shoulder, fingers digging gently into his skin.  He looked over, eyes half mast and barely focused on the hand.  He followed it up the arm to the shoulder up the neck and landed on the face.  Lips curled up into a half smile when Yoshiki’s sight finally landed on Gackt’s eyes.

“Wha-“  Yoshiki coughed and swallowed.  His voice was rough from not speaking in several hours.  “What are you doing here, Ga-kun?”  Much better.  He rubbed his hands on his thighs trying his damnedest to remove the feeling of blood and bits of mirror from his memory.  He glanced over at the wrist on his shoulder and read the time on the watch resting there.

5:37 A.M.  He’d fallen asleep for only a handful of hours yet to his deprived body it wasn’t long enough.

The vocalist rubbed the shoulder under his hand.  He sat down on the edge of the desk never breaking hand or eye contact.  “You wouldn’t answer your phone.  So I decided to come here and make you come home with me.”  When Yoshiki raised an eyebrow he explained, “You haven’t been home at night for nearly a week now.  That’s nearly a week that we’ve barely seen you and just as long since any of us have been able to sleep with you.”  The drummer lowered his head when his vocalist pointed out his avoidance of both going home and seeing his lovers.  “You’re coming home with me now and we’re going to sleep in that huge bed of yours.”

Gackt removed his hand from Yoshiki’s shoulder and placed it under the other man’s chin.  He gently pushed up making Yoshiki look him in the eyes.  “Do you hear me?  We’re going to sleep all day in your bed.  Together.”

“Alright.”

Gackt nodded and stood.  “Good.  Because I know I can speak for the others that it’s just not the same sleeping in your bed without hearing you mumbling about music and incompetent workers.”  The younger of the two grabbed Yoshiki’s hands and hauled him to his feet.  “Now let’s get out of here.”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

The two entered the house at a little past six in the morning.  Gackt helped Yoshiki in balancing as he toed off his shoes.  Both of them were dripping rain water, Yoshiki more so than Gackt, from the sudden thunder storm.  They had had the top down on the convertible and it had taken them several seconds to get it back up.  Yoshiki had held his discarded jacket over Gackt’s head and shoulders while the vocalist attempted to drive and raise the top at the same time.

Once the door was locked and jacket and shoes were where they belonged, Gackt steered the weary man into the kitchen.  He pushed him towards one of the barstools and motioned firmly for him to sit.  As soon as he was sure that Yoshiki was following his order he turned and put water in the kettle for tea.  On the top shelf of the cupboard was Yoshiki’s favorite blend of tea that helped promote sleep.  When the kettle was just about to whistle that it was ready he turned off the stove and removed it from the burner.  Placing the tea bag in a cup he slowly added the hot water.  He inhaled deeply at the rich scent wafting up from the cup.

He brought it over to Yoshiki and placed it before the man.  The man who was sitting there with his hands supporting his head, face covered by both hands and hair.  When he smelled the tea next to him he raised his head and squinted in the harsh yellow light from over the stove.  The brightness of it along with Gackt’s spoon tinking against the cup he made for himself aggravated the newly forming headache.  He cupped his hands around the warmth coming from the ceramic container and inhaled.

“Have a headache?”

He nodded without even looking at the vocalist.  Within seconds two little white pills and a glass of water appeared next to his tea.  He gratefully accepted both and downed the pills with one big gulp of water.  He nodded his thanks to Gackt and proceeded to slowly sip his tea.  He sighed.  It was just hot enough, brewed just long enough, just strong enough to make him sleepy.  Or was that the pills kicking in already?  Yoshiki found that he just didn’t care so long as he was able to sleep in his bed without nightmares.

After he finished his tea the world seemed to tilt on its axis.  When a hand on his shoulder steadied him he realized it wasn’t the world tilting but him.  The hand slid around his back to the opposite shoulder in a half-hug.

“Come, lazy bones.  How about we go to bed now, hmm?”  The hand, the arm, and the warm body they were attached to guided him up the stairs.  Once in the room hands gently peeled his work clothes off and replaced them with a pair of worn pajama pants before settling him onto middle of the bed.  A body, skin warm against his slightly chilled, instantly snuggled up to him.  He turned onto his side and managed to wrap an arm around the waist of his bed partner.  Another body on the other side spooned him from behind putting an arm around his waist and resting their chin atop his head.

Yoshiki closed his eyes and dreamed of the past.  He sighed happily in his sleep and smiled.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

The storm that hit in the early morning continued throughout the day.  Rain pit-pattering on the window panes aided in keeping the four musicians safely tucked away under the covers drowsing.  Pale sunlight filtered in through the curtains near evening.  A beam of light found its way through the two curtains to shine upon Yoshiki’s face.  Sometime during the day he had shifted to lie facing Sugizo with Miyavi curled up behind him.  He carefully untangled himself and crawled off the bed.  Miyavi whined in his sleep and flung his body to the other side and wrapped both an arm and a leg around Gackt’s body.  The vocalist grunted and allowed the death grip.

Yoshiki chuckled and made his way to the bathroom to attend to his business.  When he was washing his hands he looked into the mirror above the sink.  He was a little disheartened to only see his reflection in it.  A sigh escaped him as he turned and reached for the towel hanging on the bar.

“Yo-chan?”

The uncertain call of his name gave him reason to pause before opening the bathroom door.  He looked over his shoulder to the mirror he had just gazed into.  There was hidè, head lowered and hands wringing together nervously.  The dead man raised his head to make sure Yoshiki was still in the room before lowering it again.  When he heard Yoshiki walking back to the sink he licked his lips and cleared his throat.

“You’re not still…mad at me, are you?”

The drummer mentally sighed at the defeated tone in his old friend’s voice.  Although it was a valid question and one that he’d repeatedly told him the same answer he always asked it every time they spoke to each other.

“No, hidè.  I’m not still mad at you.”  He placed his hand flat on the mirror right over hidè’s shoulder.  The deceased guitarist looked up in surprise.  “I’m sorry.  I did overreact to what happened with Sugizo.”  He let his hand slide down the glass.  The squeaking of flesh dragging along the smooth surface didn’t make him flinch as he stared hidè in the eyes.

“I got to thinking last night.  Shut up, hidè!” Yoshiki reprimanded when he was about to give the expected smartass remark.  “I had realized that no matter what we would have done to let Sugi know that you and Kami were here would have turned out any better.  Well, maybe there would have been someone here to catch him when he fainted.  But it still remains that Sugi wouldn’t have taken it too well.  I just…I just wish that one of us was here with him at the time.”

hidè exhaled loudly through his nose.  “I know.  And like I said I’m sorry it happened.  I was going to wait for Miyavi to come back for lunch and we were going to do it then.  It’s just that I got so excited that I would be able to talk with Sugi-kun again that I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”

Yoshiki nodded in understanding.  “Yeah, that’s what Miyavi told me the night it happened.”  He smiled causing wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.  “So, I guess let’s just forget this happened, yeah?”  The answering smirk made his smile turn into a worried frown.  “hidè?”

“I’ll forget that anything happened so long as you gimme a nice hot kiss on the lips!”  He winced when Yoshiki’s forehead connected with the white countertop.  “Ano, Yo-chan?  What’s wrong?  Don’t tell me you don’t want to kiss me anymore!”

“Yeah, Yo-chan.  Go ahead and give him a kiss.”

Yoshiki jerked up as Sugizo walked up and pressed his body flush against his backside.  Sugizo placed his hands on Yoshiki’s hips and kept him trapped between himself and the counter.  He locked eyes with the guitarist trapped within the mirror as he leaned over and whispered into Yoshiki’s ear.  “Go on.  I want to watch.”

Yoshiki’s eyes widened not only at Sugizo’s sudden appearance in the bathroom but also at his words.  Here he was standing there looking straight at hidè and wasn’t freaking out like he had expected.  “What?”  He turned his head so that their lips were almost touching.  “Sugizo?  You aren’t-“

“I’ve been talking with Kami while you guys were away at work.  I had him promise not to tell anyone,” he looked pointedly at hidè, “that I was aware of them.  We both agreed to wait until the two of you made up before letting on that I knew.”  He slid his hand up Yoshiki’s bare back and pressed firmly in between his shoulder blades.  Yoshiki allowed the movement and leaned in towards the mirror.  “Now kiss and make up, you two.”  He reinforced his order by grinding his clothed erection against Yoshiki’s equally clothed ass.  It resulted in the desired action.

Yoshiki’s knees nearly buckled.  He braced his hands on the edge of the counter and planted a kiss right over hidè’s lips on the mirror.  While he was preoccupied Sugizo let his right hand fall from Yoshiki’s back to the drawstring of his pajama pants.  He slowly pulled them until the bow they had been tied into last night was undone.  His hand slipped in as he pulled back a little to give it room.  His other hand trailed its way up Yoshiki’s chest to pinch a nipple.

Yoshiki’s mouth slipped from the mirror as he gasped.  He rested his forehead against the mirror and spread his legs to better accommodate the hand stroking his cock.  It didn’t help that hidè was talking dirty to him, telling him what he looked like, the expression on Sugizo’s face.

“We’re going to finish this quickly, Yoshi-chan.  Then you and I are going back into the bedroom and I’m going to fuck you ‘til you pass out,” Sugizo promised.  He increased the speed at Yoshiki’s throaty moan.

“Wh-wha ‘bout Miyavi and Gackt?” panted Yoshiki.  It took more effort than he liked just to get that question out.  His hips jerked sporadically as he neared orgasm.  Sugizo’s answer pushed him over the edge.

“They’ll have a go after I’m done.”

Sugizo caught him as he collapsed onto of the counter, ensuring that he avoided hurting his chest on the sink faucet.  They were both gasping for air, Yoshiki because of his orgasm and Sugizo from having to hold his back.

“You bet your sweet ass we’re going to have a go at him once you’re done!”

Miyavi’s voice from the doorway startled both musicians.  Neither moved from their position except to turn their heads in his direction.  They stared at the youngest of their group as he cocked his hip to the side and folded his arms across his chest.  The youngest was completely naked and had highly enjoyed the show if the way his cock was standing to attention was any indicator.

“Do you see that, Yoshi-chan?  That’s something that you’ve been missing out on.  We’re spent an entire week without you coming home to us.”  Sugizo removed his cum-covered hand from Yoshiki’s pants and offered it out to Miyavi.  He sauntered over and took a finger into his mouth.  All four groaned as he licked and suckled Sugizo’s fingers and hand clean.  He then leaned in and kissed first Sugizo then Yoshiki, making sure that both of them tasted Yoshiki’s cum.

An arm snaked around Miyavi’s waist and pulled him away from the kiss he was sharing with Yoshiki.  He shifted so that he was leaning back on Gackt.  He hummed happily.  He reached back and pulled Gackt’s lips to his in a kiss.  When they broke the kiss, they backed out of the bathroom.  Miyavi raised his hand and beckoned the other two to follow with a curl of his finger.

They followed.  hidè was quick to call Kami from wherever he been spending his day.  As soon as he showed up his arm was grabbed and hidè pulled the both of them into the mirror hanging up to the right of the bed.  Three of them were already on it with Miyavi and Gackt on either side of Yoshiki, using arms and legs to restrain the oldest of the group.  That left Sugizo standing at the foot of the bed, gloriously naked and eyeing the helpless man.

“Alright!  We haven’t missed anything yet!”  hidè turned to Kami and grabbed him around the waist.  He leered at him and said, “I’m so glad that Sugi-kun knows we’re around.  Time for some fun!”


	7. From Spector to a Chance at Life?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gackt finds a way to bring them back to life. Should they do it?

Luna hummed to herself as she swung her legs back and forth.  She was really tired but she and her mother were on the midnight flight to America so she could stay with her dad and ‘uncles’ for a while.  She looked over at her mother sitting quietly beside her. 

Well, not exactly quietly.

The older woman was sitting, seatbelt still firmly buckled, mumbling to herself.  Her hands kept fluttering like they were trying to brush invisible hands off her arms and thighs.  Dark circles stood out like bruises under her eyes and her makeup was smeared from too much rubbing.  Business suit and slacks were wrinkled from earlier when she would either grab her arms in an effort to comfort herself or clenching at her slacks.

Luna smiled as she heard the stewardess announce that they would be landing in the Los Angeles airport soon.  She was going to see her family and friends again!

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“So, Lu-chan!  Why did your mommy bring you here early?”  Miyavi turned around from where he was in the front seat so he could look at the littlest of the group.  “Didja get in twouble again?”

“Nope!” she proudly exclaimed.  “Mommy walked in and saw Kami-kun in the mirror!  It scared her so much that she threw her shoe at him!”  Luna mimicked taking off her own shoe and throwing it.  “Just like that!”

Her dad glanced at her in the rearview mirror.  “She told me that you get to stay with us while she calls up a coupla priests to try and ‘exorcise’ the apartment.  ‘Keep Luna-chan safe,’ she told me.  ‘Don’t let the evil spirits get her!’”   He chuckled as he turned onto the street leading to their home.  “She’s convinced that Kami is a nasty ghost out to eat Luna-chan’s soul.”

Miyavi turned his head and stared at Sugizo in amazement.  “She thinks that…Kami-kun…is evil?”  He tilted his head to the side and tried to picture the quiet drummer like the ghosts on horror movies.  “Nooo, there’s just no WAY he would be like that!”  He busted up laughing with Sugizo and Luna soon joining him.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

With Luna back in their lives the four men quickly figured out a schedule that worked.  All four would go to work in the morning while Luna went to a daycare a mile down the street.  Sugizo and Miyavi would leave at lunch time to go eat with her.  Some days they were lucky enough to get the two workaholics to come with them.  Usually bribery and/or threats of Luna’s crying would be needed.  Then they would all go back and work for several hours until it was time to go pick up Luna and head home.

Yoshiki had learned his lesson quickly and made sure that he did go home every night.  While being nailed to the bed, over the desk, in the shower, in the kitchen, on the living room floor and everywhere else in between was enjoyable…he needed to be able to sit at his desk every once in a while.  Being ‘punished’ did not allow for that.

It was hard for him to do it; to leave work on time or no later than eight in the evening.  He had the vague suspicion that the others worked it out between themselves to ‘help’ him remember to come home.  He was convinced that even hidè and Kami were in on it too!  The mirrors in his office, the one on the wall and the one hidden in his top drawer would emit a voice, sometimes voices, making ‘tick-tock’ sounds as annoying as possible.  Important papers that were needed to continue working would mysteriously disappear from his desk as well.

Today was one of his days off under threat of ‘punishment’.  Wishing to be able to sit the next day Yoshiki wisely allowed his lovers to talk him into staying home.  Now if only he could figure out how to make Gackt calm down as well.

The others were out; the men at the studio and their little lady at the daycare so that Yoshiki could relax.  After getting up to say goodbye to the others he wandered into the kitchen and fixed himself a simple breakfast of Kix cereal, milk, and a glass of orange juice.  He really wanted to go out and get food from McDonalds except for the fact that he promised Gackt that he would lay off the fast food as much as humanly possible.

So far he’d only eaten there four days out of six.  The vocalist was so proud.

Since he denied himself the tasty McD’s he made do with what he had and wondered around his empty home.  Both hidè and Kami were absent from the mirrors as they went on to do whatever they did during the day.  He straightened up the kitchen, washed and dried his dishes.  He swept the floor even though Miyavi had done it last night after he, Luna, and Gackt made a huge mess out of the homemade pizzas.  Bored with that he moved on to the piano in the living room.

He sat there for nearly three hours.  Not all of the time was spent playing.  He would play a couple of songs before stopping.  His head would tilt to the side listening to the fading notes echoing off the walls.  After several seconds of suffocating silence he would once again stroke the ivory keys into a melody.

Stop and go.  Stop and go.  Sometimes he played three songs.  Others it would only be one or two before he paused to listen.  The utter silence bothered him yet he would still stop to let it engulf him.  No one was there to talk, laugh, drop things, or open the fridge.  It was almost like he was the only one alive.  Granted Yoshiki was not that stupid.  He knew that as soon as he opened a window or the front door he would be able to hear his neighbors putting around in their back yard and cars driving down the street.

But that required effort.  He contented himself with sitting on the hard piano bench with fingers splayed across the white keys.  His head gradually fell forward until it rested on the built in music stand.  A sigh escaped as brown eyes closed.  Muscles slowly relaxed as he let the silence wrap itself around his hunched body.

His hair parted itself, as if a finger trailed down the middle of his head and brushed the strands aside at the base of his neck.  The muscles in his neck twitched at the sensation.

‘It’s just a figment of your imagination, Yoshiki,’ he told himself.  He had been working hard.  Couple that with the overwhelming loneliness creeping in on his consciousness would make his mind create things for comfort.

The ghostly hand returned, palm sliding up and down his spine.  Goosebumps rose on his arms.  Another hand joined in, applying pressure here and there along his back.  Somehow the hands found all the places where tense muscles begged to be soothed.

Yoshiki hummed in pleasure.  It felt like Miyavi had somehow come home early.  He reached up his right hand to lay his hand over the one kneading his shoulder…

His right hand that encountered nothing but his own shoulder.

 

~*~Evening~*~

The other three males kept sneaking glances at Yoshiki over the dinner table.  Luna was happily munching on her French fries, completely unaware of the tension.  Gackt was the first one to have noticed the change in his older lover’s behavior.  Sugizo and Miyavi were right behind him when they witnessed Yoshiki’s hands twitching every time they brushed up against him.

Each of them tried to approach him about it.  He merely ignored them and left the house claiming to go buy dinner.  They all stared at each other confused while Luna tried to figure out what was making her daddy and uncles act so weird.

When Yoshiki returned half an hour later he barely spoke.  All he said was ‘Tadaima’ and Let’s eat!’

After everyone had finished their dinner they headed off into the living room to watch a movie.  Hopefully it would relax Yoshiki enough for him to open up to them and _talk_.

“I get to pick!  Me!  My turn!”  Luna practically skipped over to the entertainment center and stood in front of the TV.  She planted her fists on her hips and playfully glared at Miyavi when he mocked her stance.  “You gots to pick last time, Unca Meeve.  Daddy says it’s my turn now.”

Miyavi swiveled his upper torso so that he kinda faced Sugizo who was reclining on the sofa.  He had his feet up on the coffee table.  Yoshiki sat down next to him not quite touching shoulders.

“Is that true, Sugi?”   At the man’s nod he sighed and shuffled dejectedly over to the other sofa and slouched when he sat down.  “Fine, Luna-chan,” he sighed.  “You get to pick the movie.”  Once her back was turned he smirked and wiggled around until he was lying across Gackt’s lap with his head resting on the vocalist’s shoulder.

The littlest member of the family happily scanned over the collection on the bookcase next to the entertainment center.  Several seconds later she triumphantly held up her selection.  Yoshiki and Gackt shared a silent groan when they saw the title.

Disney’s Little Mermaid.

As the opening trailers started Yoshiki declared, “If any of you compare me to the crab again, I’ll go back to the studio.”

His threat was immediately squashed when Sugizo grabbed him in a head lock.  “Oh no you’re not.  You’re gonna stay right here on this sofa through the whole movie!”  He freed a hand from the struggling pianist and waved his daughter over.  “Luna-chan!  Come sit on Unca Yoshi so he can’t escape!”

The little girl ran up and leapt onto the eldest man’s legs and laid down, her head on his thighs and her body covering the lower legs.  She raised her head and ‘shushed’ everyone.  Her head went back down and the lights bleeding in from the kitchen flickered twice before going out.

“Did a bulb burn out?” Gackt asked.

“Shush!!” Luna answered.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

An hour and a half later found Luna asleep on top of Yoshiki’s legs.  He didn’t mind, though, since he too had fallen asleep.  Sugizo looked over at the other two and noticed that Gackt’s eyes were half lidded, valiantly trying to stay open.  He glanced at his watch and noticed that it was later than expected.  His hand went to stroke the pianist’s hair.

“You guys wanna help me out here?”

Miyavi looked up from Gackt’s shoulder and smirked.  He liked the picture the two sleeping beauties presented.  He nudged the vocalist and got up, stretching his arms high above his head.  He chuckled quietly as he bent over to lift Luna off Yoshiki’s poor legs.  The little girl sighed and snuggled closer to the new source of warmth.  The bundle was passed off to her dad, who had managed to get up from under Yoshiki without waking him.

Gackt in turn aided Miyavi in getting Yoshiki up.  One man on either side of him made it possible for them to get him up the stairs.  While Sugizo got his daughter changed for bed the two youngest did the same for the eldest.

A few minutes later found Sugizo in the master bedroom pulling his shirt off as he entered.  He took in the sight on the bed and raised an eyebrow.

Yoshiki was lying in the middle on his side, back to chest to Gackt and face to face with Miyavi.  Normally the almost anal man would have slept on the outside when he had work the next day.  He liked being able to get out of bed without waking the others.  He claimed that Gackt needed as much sleep as possible.  They had all rolled their eyes at that since he was the one who got the least amount of sleep between the four of them.

The other two raised their heads at his entrance and shrugged.  They snuggled back down.  Gackt raised the cover on his side and waited for the older guitarist to join them.

“Has he said anything to either of you?” he asked as he wrapped an arm around Gackt’s waist.  His other arm curled under his pillow adding some height so he could see Miyavi as well.

Both shook their heads.  They still hadn’t found out what had caused Yoshiki to be so…twitchy.  He’d had the whole day to himself.  Granted he normally didn’t mind being home since he had an office here, but that was off limits.  Miyavi had locked it up tight and took the key with him.  There was nothing for him to really do at home besides straighten up, like the place needed it, watch TV, or play piano; all things that he enjoyed doing.

So what the hell happened while they were gone?

“Maybe he…I don’t know.  Maybe he watched one of the American remakes of a horror movie or something,” Miyavi suggested, remembering when he first stayed with Yoshiki and had watched The Grudge.  A little after midnight found him huddling under Yoshiki’s covers clinging to the man claiming he saw hair creeping out of the corners of the walls.

All three of them knew that that wasn’t what happened.  But at least it was some kind of explanation for now.  They resolved not to let Yoshiki go into work tomorrow unless he told them.  Sugizo agreed to take Luna to daycare early so that they could maybe get Yoshiki to work by midday.

If he cooperated.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

The next morning found Yoshiki flat on his back with Sugizo and Gackt on either side of him and Miyavi in between his legs.  The youngest had him in his mouth and was doing wonderful things with his tongue and teeth.  The other two held him down and took turns kissing him while playing with his nipples.  They had kept him on edge for so long now he was beginning to get desperate for release.

He had tried struggling out of bed as soon as he had woken up but they were waiting for him.  Sugizo and Gackt had quickly pounced on him, trapping his arms under their bodies as they ran their free hands over his torso and face.  Miyavi took his time stripping him of his sleep pants.  His hands caressed his thighs as he dragged the thin fabric down his long legs.

“Now, Yoshi-chan.  There’s a reason why we’re doing this,” he purred to the trapped drummer.  “You wouldn’t tell us what was wrong yesterday.”

“Wha-wha was wrong?”  He tried so hard to act clueless.  Maybe if he pretended that nothing happened yesterday they would just get on with it.  “Nothing happ-“  He cut himself off with a gasp when Miyavi swallowed him without warning.  Damn, but that boy had a wicked tongue!

Lips and teeth and tongues attacked his neck from both sides.  They kissed, licked, and nibbled their way up his jaw to his ear to his lips.  They took turns ghosting over, just barely touching his lips in a brief kiss before disappearing.

And now he just wished that they would let him come.  He refused to tell them the truth.  Seeing hidè and Kami in the mirrors was one thing, but having… _something_ …pretty much feel him up in the living room was too psychotic.  The boredom was probably playing tricks on his mind.

“It-it was noth-thing I swear!”  He groaned loudly when the three backed off a bit.  “Some-some guy called.”  Quick, Yoshiki!  Think of something quick!  “He said that he wanted to talk to me about items from hidè’s museum that he had.”  He let his head fall back onto the pillow with a sigh and closed his eyes.  That killed the mood right there.

The other three stared at him.  That couldn’t have been the reason…right?  They each stared at him lost in their own thoughts.  If it was true, then it would explain why he didn’t want to tell them yesterday.  But still…

“Could you two let up?  I can’t feel my hands anymore.”

Gackt and Sugizo eased up from where they laid on Yoshiki’s lower arms.  The prone man raised his arms to his chest and hugged himself.  Miyavi stayed where he was only lowered his head to rest it on Yoshiki’s hipbone.

“It’s nothing,” he insisted.

“If it was really nothing it wouldn’t have made you so upset yesterday,” Sugizo pointed out.  He returned a hand to Yoshiki’s chest and lightly rubbed up and down the smooth flesh.  “We’re just worried about you is all.  We all know how bad stress can fuck a person up.”  He pointedly glared at Gackt.  The vocalist didn’t even pretend not to know just who he was talking about.

“Thank you.  But don’t worry too much.  I’ve…We’ve got you and Miyavi to help keep us in line.”  Yoshiki smiled down at Miyavi before running a hand through the black hair.  He took a handful and gave it a gentle tug.  “Now let me up.  I have to get to work.”  He looked each of them in the eyes and said, “We all do.  Now up!”

Grumbles from the bed followed him into the bathroom for a quick shower.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

All day long Gackt was unable to shake the feeling that someone was in the room with him.  He was separated from the others by several rooms.  The others were off listening to several of the songs that they’d just finished recording.  He claimed that he wanted to call a friend and left the room.  Which was true…he just didn’t need a phone to do it.

“Kami?”

No answer.

He pulled the folding chair away from the wall and set it down in the middle of the room.  The door was locked before he sat down and closed his eyes.  He took a deep breath of air, held it for several seconds, and let it out, clearing his mind.

In his mind he envisioned the room.  Several folding chairs rested along the wall opposite the door.  A coupla music stands and filing cabinets stood to the left.  On the right was a dusty piano that Yoshiki probably forgot was even in the building.  The floor was covered in a light layer of dust.  This was one room that not many went into.  He’d have to let Yoshiki know about it.  The poor man would have a fit at how unorganized it would seem to him.

A hand brushed along his arm, fingers drifting up the sleeve.  They reached his neck and rested there.  They squeezed gently before disappearing.  He felt lips against his ear, his cheeks, and his lips.  Feeling like an idiot he pursed his lips to kiss the invisible figure.

The kiss was returned.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see one of the others there playing games with him.  When he was met with nothing but an empty room he was thrilled beyond words.  He exhaled loudly and smiled.  He licked dry lips and reached out a hand.  A hand grabbed on to his and held tightly.

“Kami,” he breathed.  “How?”

“I don’t know,” was his answer.

“I can’t see you but you’re here.”  He tilted his head to the side, eyes darting back and forth as he thought.  “Is that why Yoshiki was so tense last night?  Did you or hidè come in contact with him?”

The hand let go.  He was about to protest, to apologize, when a solid pressure was applied to his thighs.  He felt Kami settle down in his lap and wrap his arms around his neck.  Kami’s cheek rested on top of Gackt’s as a breath breezed past his ear.  Gackt in turn slung his arms around Kami’s waist and nuzzled close to his shoulder.  He could almost _smell_ the cologne that Kami always wore.  It clung to the shirt he could feel but not see.

“Yes.  Yoshiki was feeling down so hidè decided to be a dumbass and tried to give him a massage.”  His knees and arms hugged Gackt for a second and then let go.  “It was going great until he stopped and Yoshiki turned around.  I think he thought it was one of you guys who came home early.”

Gackt made a humming sound in the back of his throat.  He was silent for several minutes enjoying the sensation of holding his old lover in his arms again.  He laid his ear directly over where Kami’s heart should be.  It wasn’t necessarily auditable, but he could faintly hear the beating of Kami’s heart in his mind.

“How long have you two been able to come out of the mirrors?”

“We’ve always been able to.  How do you think You-san and Chacha-san and the others of JOB knew when to be near you when you’re all but asleep on your feet?  Or all the times you’ve heard Yoshiki-san complain about how papers at work suddenly disappearing only to return in their original place the next day.”

“So wait.”  He lifted his head and stared into where Kami’s eyes would be.  “You two have been following us around…out of the mirrors?”  If he squinted his eyes just right he could make out a barely there image of Kami.  Either that or his mind was making him see what he wanted to see.

“Yes,” the image nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell us?  Why did you leave me alone?”

There was a hint of sadness in Gackt’s voice that made Kami flinch.  While he understood why Gackt slowly stopped talking to him, he had no excuse for why he also stopped talking.  He had no excuse for why he just suddenly up and left Gackt. 

“You know that we hadn’t really…talked several years after my death.  I…hidè found me and he took me into the mirrors, showed me all the fun that could be had.  He told me how Yoshiki was able to see him sometimes.  He wanted Yoshiki to meet me so he pulled me into the mirror in Yoshiki’s bedroom.”  Kami let his hands play with Gackt’s short black hair.  It comforted him being able to touch his old lover.  “He didn’t handle it well.  He…He drank so much that we were both worried he wouldn’t wake up.  But one of his assistants came over and found him.”

“He told us that he didn’t react well to first seeing you two.  He had thought that the depression had finally gotten to him or something.”

“Yeah.  And we wanted to tell you all about us being closer to you than just in mirrors, but after Yoshiki’s reaction the first time…”

Gackt was puzzled at this.  “Wait.  Shouldn’t he be able to accept this a lot easier?”

Kami shook his head.  “No.  For some strange reason Yoshiki may not be able to take it better than the first time if how he reacted last night was any indicator.”  The deceased drummer stood and walked around the room.  “I think he may have accepted that we’re around, but to have us walking along beside him, talking to him, touching him may have him freak out again.”

“I wish there was a way to make you two alive again,” Gackt whispered.  Kami touched his shoulder mirroring his sentiments without words.

“So do I.  But think about it, Gaku:  What would happen if we did come back?  I’m not sure that it’s possible; let alone the impact of us suddenly coming back to life.  What would we do?  How would we explain it to everyone?”

The vocalist thought hard about that.  Yes, he did want Kami and hidè out of the mirrors and visible, but how?  And how would they explain to their family and friends of their return from the dead?  He gasped and snapped his fingers.

“I’ve got it!  If we can find a way to bring you two out…you won’t be Kami and hidè.”  At Kami’s ‘Huh?” he explained, “We’ll give you two a hair cut or something and different names.  I mean it works in television shows and comic books so why not real life?  People aren’t always as observant as they think they are.”

“That…That might work, actually…”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

 

Gackt walked aimlessly down another random street in downtown L.A.  After his little chat with Kami he had told the others, who were quite upset at his absence, that he needed to go for a stroll.

He had claimed it was to work out some lyrics stuck in his head.

They didn’t need to know about his and Kami’s idea…yet…

Hands in pockets and head hung low he ambled past other pedestrians on their way to actual destinations.

“pssst!”

Gackt’s head snapped up.

“pssst!”

He slowly rotated his head until his eyes could look down the lilac-tinted alleyway.

“Hello, young man.  You are in need of some help, I know.  I can help you.”

The man speaking slowly inched his way closer to the mouth of the dingy alley.  Contrary to what Gackt had first thought, the man was not dressed in rags, skin dirty and infected, nor deformed in any way.

He was merely dressed in a simple cheongsam of black silk with gold trim and fastenings.  A pair of gold silk pants peeked out from the slits of the outfit.  Black slip on shoes protected his feet from the filth on the ground.  Long strands of black hair peppered with white were elegantly pulled back by a plain strap of leather.  Dark brown eyes were nearly black in the shadows as he focused on him.

“Do follow me, young man,” he beckoned.  “And I’ll show you how to bring the two dear to you back to life.”  He turned abruptly on his heel and disappeared into the alley, clearly expecting the shocked vocalist to follow him.

And like the curious man that he is, Gackt went into the alley without once looking back.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

An hour and a half after he had left the studio saw Gackt returning with a small paper sack dangling from his right hand.  The other was in his pocket holding onto the instructions that man had given him.

There was a noticeable bounce in his step as he entered the building.

The shop the old Chinese man had led him to resemble the stereotypical mystic shop found in Chinatowns all over TV land.  He had introduced himself as Martial Law and said how he had foreseen Gackt needing his great-great-grandfather’s old tome filled with ways to do things from creating gold out of wood chips to bringing back the dead.  He had also thrown in some candles and incense.

When the vocalist has asked if they were required for performing the spell Law laughed and said that he knew Gackt hated electric lights and the incense was to cover up the odor of two dead and decaying bodies healing themselves.

Back at the studio found Miyavi and Sugizo practically running up to him when they saw him enter.   Both of them hooked an arm and dragged him backwards into Yoshiki’s empty office.  He watched as others frantically rushed about until Miyavi closed the door and locked it.

“It would be best to feign sickness and go home, Gaku,” Sugizo whispered

Miyavi nodded all manner of joking gone.  “Yo-chan’s on the…what do they call it?   He’s on the war path.”

The vocalist was deeply confused.  “Why?  What happened?  I was only gone for less than 2 hours.”  Gackt clutched the brown paper sack to his chest protectively. 

The older guitarist rolled his eyes and sighed.  “Someone from the cleaning crew bumped into one of the mixing equipment and splashed mop water all over it.”  He reached up and rubbed his forehead.  “The whole thing’s fried now.”

“Which means,” Miyavi picked up, “that Yo-chan’s nitpicking on everything anyone does that’s even slightly wrong while trying to order new equipment at the same time.”

Gackt smirked at the two distressed guitarists.  “Good thing I’m a perfectionist, then.  I have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh smile all you want, Gackt.  That just means that you don’t finish ‘til it’s perfect.  If you even cough wrong Yoshiki will jump down your throat.”

The vocalist’s eyebrows rose at that.  “O-kay.  And why aren’t you two trying to escape as well?”  He was seriously thinking of leaving…now.  It wasn’t that he was afraid of Yoshiki’s wrath or anything.  It’s just that…well…he has things to plan.  That’s all.

They both shrugged.  “Someone’s gotta save the poor fools who get in Yo-chan’s way.”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Are you serious?”

Sigh.

“Yes, hidè.  That’s all it takes to bring you two back.”

“Holy shit, I’m so in!  When are we going to do this?  Now?  That would be awesome.”

“Soon.”

“How about now?  I vote for now.  You, Kami-kun?  Please say now.  I so wanna take Luna-chan Trick or Treating this year!”

Sweat drops times two.

“Whaaaat?”

“How about next week?  It’ll give Yoshiki time to calm down some…Hopefully.”

“Good idea, Kami-kun!  So in like 2 days, right?”

Smack!

“Ow!”

“I think he meant next week as in next Friday, hidè.”

“Well he didn’t have to hit me so hard!  Loook!  I have a bruise now!”

…

“Will you kiss it better?”

“Uhhh…no.  And don’t look at me like that.”

“meanie!”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

~The Next Week~

The mess at the studio took nearly four days to either fix or scrap and replace.  Yoshiki was not a happy camper to say the least.  He had spent most of his time at the studio in his office with the phone glued to his ear.  At times when someone forgot to close his door after reporting to him, he could be heard screaming in broken English all the way down the hallway at some poor person on the other line.

The others, including Gackt, did what they could to try and keep his stress level down but he refused to let any of them help with the ordering of new equipment.  He stated that they would get the orders mixed up or some crap like that.  Gackt was especially worried about him since hidè and Kami were going to be coming back in three days time.

Miyavi mostly stayed at the studio making sure that Yoshiki remembered to eat something that wasn’t McDonald’s or any other type of fast food he used to get around not eating McD’s.  Sugizo would bring in Luna and she was able to ‘wobbly-eye’ him into coming home one night out of three.

 Once all was said and done, though, he did return home willingly.  Granted he merely collapsed onto the living room sofa after dropping the others off and slept the better part of the day away.

When he woke up around eight in the evening he found the others seated throughout the living room eating dinner and watching another Disney movie.  His former pillow had been replaced by Miyavi’s lap and a plate of food rested on the pianist’s stomach.

Yoshiki tilted his head so that he was looking up at Miyavi.  “You gonna let me up to eat?” he asked when the guitarist’s free hand draped itself over his chest and held him down.  “Or are you just going to torture me?”  He began to pout when Miyavi mimed thinking it over, chin in hand.

“Hmmm.  I think I’ll…feed it to you.  How’s that work?”  He had a positively lecherous grin on his face.

“I get food and you still have a lap warmer.  I suppose that’ll work.”  Yoshiki allowed the guitarist to feed him bits of chicken and veggies taking great care to lick the lingering digits clean of any sauce.

Despite how much further they wanted their little interactions to progress, Luna’s singing along with the movie reminded them that there was a minor present.  Each groaned inwardly at the inability to continue.

Including Gackt and Sugizo who were paying more attention to them than the movie.

The movie thankfully ended a good 35 minutes later with Luna saying that her daddy and Uncas were all in this one as well.  Sugizo laughed and picked her up.  “Who am I, baby girl?”

“You’re the Feather duster.  And Unca Yoshi’s the prince because he has a big nose.  And Unca Meever’s the Candlestick.  And Unca Gaku’s Gaston!”

Gackt feigned an expression of horrified shock at her announcement.  “But…But Luna-loo!  That means I die at the end!”

She nodded sleepily against her daddy’s shoulder  “Uh-huh.  But you’re a vampire so that okay.”

“Oh I see.  And who are you, sweetling?”

“I’m Belle, of course,” a yawn cut her off, “I’m Belle ‘cuz you all keep telling me how pretty I am…”

As she fell asleep against Sugizo’s shoulder he smiled and kissed her on the temple.  “That you are, princess.  That you are.”  He went and put her to bed while the others got ready for bed as well.

Floating behind them, hardly visible even to Gackt, were Kami and hidè.  They both smiled at the scene, thrilled beyond belief that soon they would be part of it as well.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

~Friday~

Everything was set and ready to go.  All the candles and incense was lit and placed strategically around the living room.  The others were out doing either music-related business or at day care.

No one’s really sure where Miyavi wound up for a few hours.

Gackt kneeled down in the middle of the living room.  Before he began he sent a silent prayer up that by bringing hidè and Kami back that Yoshiki wouldn’t kill him after the mess that was sure to result from all this.

He looked down at the book lying open on the floor in between his knees.  Taking a deep breath he splayed his fingers of both hands over the pages and began to recite the ancient words.

Kami and hidè stood off to the side holding on to each other as they felt themselves dissolve.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Oh come on, Yo-chan!  Please?”

“No, Miyavi!  There’s too much going on right now.”  Yoshiki sighed as the approached the front door.  “I have three new bands being signed on, two photo shoots: one for X and the other for SKIN, and-“ Yoshiki’s list of protests died before passing his lips when he pushed the front door open.

Dark grey fog rolled out from all edges of the open door.

The three musicians and the little girl stood there staring first as the fog, each other, and then the fog.  Sugizo let go of Luna’s hand when Yoshiki stared at him and opened his mouth.  “I swear, Yoshki-kun!  The stove was off and there was nothing on or around it when I took Luna to daycare!” 

Miyavi kept staring at the fog rolling out of the house around their legs.  He squatted down and both he and Luna tried to play with it.

“You know,” he said, “Gaku-kun had the day off…”  His sentence trailed off as he watched the way the fog suddenly spread away from the two.

The cause:  Yoshiki literally leaping over him to run inside.  The other three at the door stared in awe at each other before quickly following him into the living room.

There they stopped dead in their tracks behind Yoshiki.  Sugizo noticed with some degree of concern that Yoshiki was breathing a little faster than necessary.

Now that the fog had an outlet, it was quickly dissipating from the room.  What it revealed shocked them all.

Gackt was lying unconscious in the middle of the living room wearing nothing but his house coat.  All the candles were burnt out with wax trailing down table legs.  The incense left nothing but tiny piles of ash behind.  An old book lay next to Gackt’s knees, appearing like an innocent bystander.

In front of the downed vocalist were two people that the four never thought they’d actually ‘see’ again.

Sitting in front of Gackt were hidè and Kami.  Both were dressed in the traditional white robes the deceased wore.  They looked just as young as they had years ago when they died, only now not so pale or still.

They both raised their heads simultaneously when the four entered.  Kami smiled and nodded his head to them while hidè jumped up and stood proudly, hands on hips.

“Hi, Yo-chan!  When’s dinner?  I’m starving!”  He tilted his head to the side when Yoshiki didn’t answer him.  “Uh, Yo-chan?  You okay there?”

Yoshiki didn’t say a word as he stumbled over on numb legs to his long time friend and lover.  He raised a hand and laid it against hidè’s cheek tenderly.

“hi…dè?”

Hidè smiled at Yoshiki and wrapped both his arms around the trembling pianist in a bear hug.  “Heya, Yo-chan.”

The other three were slowly making their way over when Yoshiki’s eyes fluttered shut and he went limp in hidè’s arms.

“Yoshiki!”


	8. The Rest of X Japan Enter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The public and X Japan don't react well to the rumors/sightings.

“Oi!   He’s waking up!”

“Move back.  You’re going to suffocate him being that close.”

“He’s so going to hurt you, hidè.”

“ME?!  What did I do?”

Yoshiki groaned as the voices made his headache worse.  ‘Why were they being so LOUD?’ he thought.  ‘Well, only one way to find out.’  He opened his eyes and came face to face with hidè.

A very ALIVE hidè.  One that should not be kneeling in front of him staring at him with such a worried expression on his face.

Yoshiki sat up quickly, bracing himself on the couch, and looked right back at the pink and black haired man.

“Wha…”

Hidè had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable.  He raised a hand to the back of his head and chuckled quietly.  The others, Kami included, took a step back from the two.  The expression on Yoshiki’s face was shifting from one emotion to another too quickly for their liking.

“Well, you see, Yo-chan.  Gackt found this guy, you see.  And he told Gackt that he could help him bring us back and all.  And so Kami, Gackt, and me wanted to surprise you all by coming back.  And…And…Oh hell, Yo-chan.  Please don’t cry…”  On impulse the older of the two reached over and hugged Yoshiki as tightly as he could.  In the background Sugizo held Miyavi’s upper arms, keeping him from rushing over to the distraught pianist.

Yoshiki clung to the man in front of him.  His mind could barely wrap around the fact that he could see, could touch, his old lover outside of the mirrors.  Over hidè’s shoulder he saw Kami and Gackt in a similar embrace next to the two guitarists.  Sugizo looked rattled but intrigued by what was going on.  Miyavi he could tell was torn between running over to hidè and hugging him and hitting him for making Yoshiki cry.  Yoshiki closed his eyes to better savor the scent that was entirely hidè that he had missed over the past several years.  A sudden thought had him pulling away from the ex-guitarist.

“What the **f-f-fuck** , hidè?” he nearly screamed as he half-heartedly socked hidè in the shoulder.  “You think you can just come back from the dead like that and everything will be okay?”  He pushed hidè away and stood up, ignoring the stunned looks on everyone’s faces.  “You were DEAD.  You and Kami were gone.  How can you just come back like this?  Your bodies were cremated.  There was nothing but ashes left.”  As he spoke his voice and hands shook, his feet took him back and forth over the living room floor.  “People killed themselves when they found out you were…gone.”

“I know!  I heard all about that.  It kills me a little inside every time I’m reminded.”  Hidè stood and grabbed Yoshiki’s shoulders.  He stared him straight in the eyes and asked, “Can’t you and the guys just be happy that we’re back?”  In a softer voice, “Can’t _you_ be happy that _I’m_ back?”

Yoshiki sighed.  He let his forehead thunk against hidè’s and sighed again.  His arms wrapped around hidè’s waist.  He let his eyes wonder over to the four men standing off to the side, eyeing Kami in particular.  Out of the corner of his eye he could see that the youngest of the group appeared to have decided on wanting to hit hidè if the glare he sent the oldest guitarist was any hint.

“You do realize that if you two are going to stick around…be alive…we have to do a lot of work to make it so that people don’t freak out.”

Kami smiled at the pianist.  “You mean like you did?”

Yoshiki mock glared at the freshly returned drummer.  “I did not freak,” he stated.  “I had a momentary period of emotional instability.”  He leaned back, nearly but not quite pressing his pelvis against hidè’s.

All five men and one little girl looked at each other then turned to Yoshiki and said, “Riiiiight.”

The drummer stared at them puzzled.  “What?”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Luna watched as her Uncle Yoshiki stood at the counter and gave the barista their order.  She was kneeling backwards on the sofa in the far corner of Starbucks, hands grabbing onto the back of the worn material.  On one side of her sat her dad and on the other was her Uncle Gackt.  Behind her was a wood and glass coffee table covered in old magazines and dried coffee cup rings.  Past that was another slightly longer matching sofa where her other three uncles had managed to squeeze themselves.  Uncles Miyavi, Toshio(hidè), and Takeshi(Kami) were sitting shoulder to shoulder to shoulder.

“What’re you staring at, Luna-chan?”

The little girl smiled up at Yoshiki before giggling and quickly turning around in her seat.  “Nuthin’, Unca Yoshi!”

He nodded and settled down in the plush recliner framing the two sofas.  “The drinks’ll be ready in a couple minutes.  Apparently seven drinks at once is a lot.”  His eyes drifted over the collected group of adults and child before latching onto something vaguely interesting on the other side of the window across from him.

“Okay,” someone responded.

The group of six men and one six year old girl relaxed and chatted about the most randomness of things.  Miyavi struck up a conversation with Luna about helping him write a song for his next single.  Yoshiki and hidè tried to figure out what to do to get both hidè and Kami legal papers.  Sugizo, Gackt, and Kami tried to see who could come up with the dirtiest joke that a child wouldn’t understand.

None of them realized that they were being watched by several of the others surrounding them.

Many of the younger patrons of LA’s Starbucks kept glancing over at the group then quickly looking away.  There was something…familiar about two of the men.  Many of the young watchers knew of the members of S.K.I.N.  It was the two sandwiching Miyavi that had everyone puzzled.

One of them could have passed for the dead guitarist, hidè.  That is, if hidè were to ever cut his hair short in the back and have long bangs nearly to his chin.  And if his hair were to be bleached blond with a scattering of black here and there throughout.  Then again, the hidè that they had all known and followed all so wore bright, sometimes mismatched clothing.  Not muted nearly boring jeans, t-shirt, and flip flops.

The other could have been the equally deceased drummer, Kami.  But just like with the almost hidè-look-alike, it couldn’t have been.  This man also had his hair short, nearly chin-length and brushed back out of his face.  More than likely it was gelled or hair sprayed back.  It was dark brown, to the point where it could be considered black, with lighter streaks shining through.  He was also dressed in ratty jeans and a faded t-shirt.

Everyone in the grouped looked almost purposely dressed down for a trip around the town.  It was like they were trying not to garner attention and failing.  Although it didn’t help that all of them were very handsome.  Plus adding a child to the mix instantly draws women’s attentions.

Behind a young couple who were secretly watching the seven, an older woman huffed loudly before pulling out her cell phone.  She punched in three numbers angrily.  After a mere two seconds of waiting she began to whisper harshly into the mouth piece.  A few mumbled responses and an ‘uh-huh’ later she hung up.  The young couple glanced at her before turning back to the coffees and scones.

The older woman continued to stare unashamed at the group of men in the far corner.

Several minutes passed in which the men and little girl received their drinks and were comfortably seated enjoying themselves and each other’s company.  Many young patrons kept staring at two of the men while the older woman kept staring at all the men in the corner.

Then the police arrived.

 

“Excuse me, sir?”

Seven pairs of eyes rolled to focus on the short, lanky police officer standing to the left of Yoshiki.  Luna shifted to sitting on the sofa backwards to watch the second officer walk over to a woman sitting several tables away.

“Yes?” Yoshiki prompted.

The younger officer, Dunn read his badge, took off his bowler hat and held it in both hands.  With a very grave expression he said, “I’m sorry to disturb you all but we received a phone call a few minutes ago about you and your friends here”  The hat rotated in his hands.

The six men eyed each other in surprise.  “What kind of complaint?” came from Sugizo.

Dunn glared over at his partner who was happily chatting and flirting with the by now completely embarrassed woman.  She had her hands covering her mouth and refused to look in their direction.  “Well, you see, the lady over there with Officer Wilmington called in saying that you all kidnapped this little girl here,” he explained as he ruffled Luna’s hair.  Luna giggled and batted his hand away.

All of the musicians stared at each other before averting their gaze to the woman.  When she saw them all staring at her she grabbed her belongings, brushed off the officer’s hand from her shoulder, and quickly made her way out of Starbucks.

“Why’d she leave?”  Sugizo pulled his daughter onto his lap.

“Because she’s silly and thought your uncles and I were stealing you away.”

“Ohh!”  She looked over her daddy’s shoulder watching as the woman raced across the busy intersection.   “Ah!  Daddy!  That lady didn’t look both ways ‘fore crossing the street!”  She pointed at the woman, nearly making Sugizo lose his grip on her.

Miyavi and hidè both gasped dramatically at her announcement.  Officer Dunn’s partner joined them leaning against the other side of Yoshiki’s chair.  “Well, that’s just not right!” he exclaimed.  “You should never cross the street without looking both ways.  Right, little lady?” he smiled and winked at Luna as she nodded.

Miyavi turned to look at an exasperated Sugizo.  “That makes this, what, five times this month?”  Five slender, calloused fingers were held up to help illustrate his question.  The other guitarist sighed as the others chuckled at him.

“What’s five times, Unca Meeves?”

Miyavi leaned forward over the coffee table and stage-whispered, “Five times that people have thought that you’ve been Luna-napped!”

The little girl gasped then giggled.  “Well, they’re silly.  Daddy wouldn’t let anyone Luna-nap me.  Isn’t that right, daddy?”

“Absolutely!”  He even puffed out his chest and flexed his arms to show off.

As it often happens, while the group of seven and two police officers joked around, they once again failed to notice that the woman was not the only one watching.  Granted, anyone being loud in a place like Starbucks would garner unwanted attention.  The two goth teens kept discretely glancing back and forth from their laptop to two of the musicians in particular.  As the minutes passed, the anger slowly built up until they had to force themselves to pack up their things and stomped out, glaring all the while at the two men.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Later that night, since it was getting closer to Christmas, found them once again gathered around the TV watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.  The men were scattered all over the two sofas with Luna happily curled up on her daddy’s lap.

The guys were still slightly wired yet exhausted by the day’s earlier fiasco.  Despite how everything had been resolved there was still paperwork that had to be filled out added onto the full work day that each had put in.  All were quietly waiting for Luna to fall asleep so they could wear themselves out with some ‘exercise’.

Several of them sighed audibly when they saw the little girl’s eyes begin to droop.  Sugizo was helping things along by gently rubbing her back.  A smirk appeared when not five minutes later found her a dead weight in his arms.

Everyone silently cheered and applauded his as he cradled his daughter in his arms and carried her to her room.   Kami and Gackt watched a couple more minutes of the movie, wanting to know if Sally would succeed in rescuing Santa or not, while Miyavi and hidè both wrestled the pen and sheet music out of Yoshiki’s hands.

With the TV turned off, the alarm set, and all windows and doors locked the men made their way up to the master bedroom.  They all playfully argued back and forth over who gets to fuck who and bets were made as to who would fall asleep first.  Yoshiki smacked Sugizo’s shoulder when he announced Yoshiki being the first.  Hidè was laughing along with the rest until Miyavi called him being the second because ‘he’s an old man like Yo-chan!’

As soon as Gackt put his hand on the door knob to the bedroom the house went completely dark.  Everyone gasped and twitched at the sudden darkness.  Several jumped when someone bumped into them.  Thankfully the absence of light hide that embarrassing motion.  Hidè and Sugizo turned and started to make their way back to the stairs to check on Luna while the other four went into both the master bathroom and guest bathroom to find candles.

The two guitarists were halfway down the stairs when the front window was shattered.  Luna sat upright in her bed clutching the blanket to her chest.  When she noticed that her nightlight wasn’t on anymore she opened her mouth and screamed, “DADDY!”

Uncaring of how blind he was, Sugizo used his memory of the layout to rush to his daughter.  A side table and a potted plant tried to slow him down but he merely knocked them down.  He made it to her room in less than 10 seconds and immediately took her into his arms, shushing her screams.

The youngest of the group clung to her daddy and refused to let go.  She buried her face in his neck, eyes squeezed shut.  “Wha happened to the lights, daddy?”  Her tiny fists clenched his tee shirt while her legs wrapped around his waist.  “Make them go back on.”

Sugizo sat the two of them down on her bed, one hand going to rest on the back of her head.  “Don’t worry, baby girl.  I’m sure your uncles are working on it.”  He couldn’t help wondering what it was that had shattered the window.  After a couple seconds of silence he nudged his daughter with his shoulder.  “Hey.  How’s about we go and see what they’ve found, hm?”

A reply came in the form of a sniffle and slight nod.

And so he stood, blanket and all, and carried her out into the living room.  The other five were getting various things done.  Kami was on the phone calling the police while hidè and Miyavi laid candles on whatever flat surface they could find.  Yoshiki was sitting hunched over on the coffee table, face in his hands, while Gackt attempted to rub the stress out of his shoulders and neck.

Without looking up Yoshiki informed the two, “The power’s out for the entire block.  Police and electrical crew will be here shortly.”

Sugizo nodded in acknowledgement and turned to his daughter.  “Look, Luna.  Your uncles have candles everywhere!  Isn’t it pretty?”

That got her to look up and around.  There were indeed candles everywhere, their light shining off of the broken glass lying on the floor around the window.  A chilled wind blew in making the flames waver and shadows dance.  She ducked her head back into the safety of her daddy’s shoulder when one shadow suddenly took the appearance of a bully from daycare.

Without a word Sugizo walked over to the rock and crumpled piece of paper sitting next to Yoshiki.  Freeing one hand he picked up the paper and silently read it.  Only a sentence in and he was glad that Luna didn’t know what it said.

**_How dare you all mingle with those imposters!  We will inform the fans and you will pay dearly for this!_ **

 

Later that night found five men and one little girl all curled up in the king size bed, silk sheets pulled up to the chin. The bedside clock read 4:38 A.M. Its red light cast a disturbing hue upon the faces of the slumbering group. One that caused Yoshiki to take his phone call out into the hallway so that he wasn’t drawn to staring at them.

“Alright. Thank you, Officer Larabee.” A pause as he listened to the voice on the other end. “Yes. I have someone coming out first thing in the morning to fix it.” He leaned against the wall separating him from his room. A trembling hand rubbed at his forehead as the officer informed him of the patrol car driving around the neighborhood. His head thunked against the wall as they said their farewells and cut the connection.

He barely flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder. Worried brown eyes stared at the other musician. Both stood there in silence, one offering comfort the other slowly working on aggravating the barely healed ulcer.

“What’d they say?”

Yoshiki shrugged as he was lead back into the bedroom. The cell was pulled from his hand and gently set onto the other bedside table with the other five cell phones. As he was pushed onto the bed and manhandled down he answered, “Nothing much. Just that there’s someone patrolling the neighborhood and nothing’s been found yet.” Hands sought him out, rubbing soothingly over his shoulders, stomach, and neck. “There were no…*yawn* no fingerprints or anything else to go by.”

He knew not who the hands belonged to nor did he care. Too many things were flying through his brain. Too many what ifs and worst case scenarios causing tense muscles and a building headache. Thankfully those hands knew just how to distract him and allow his mind to drift. Warmth from bodies on either side of him coupled with those hands gradually lulled him into a light sleep.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

Bright and early the next morning, a mere 3 hours and 20 minutes later, found two men at Yoshiki’s front door awaiting permission to fix the living room window. All the musicians were seated around the kitchen table with Luna sitting on her daddy’s lap. The poor child had a death grip round his neck and refused to let him go into a different room without her.

“So what do we do about this?” Sugizo questioned. He calmly sipped his coffee, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around his daughter’s waist. He gazed around the table at his lovers. None of them appeared to have slept any better than him.

Gackt stood and moved over to the coffee maker for a refill. Turning around he leaned against the counter and raised the cup to his lips but did not drink. “What can we do? If we go on as if nothing happened than these people will do whatever they can to hurt us. If we tell everyone that Kami and hidè are alive…”

“Then there will be a lot of trouble,” Kami finished. He rested his head on one hand. The other hand lay limp across the back of Gackt’s empty chair. “I seriously doubt that the fans…that anyone…will take our coming back from the dead in a healthy manner.”

Everyone hmm’ed in agreement. Silence save for the efforts of the glass repairmen filled the kitchen. It wasn’t until the two repairmen left that hidè got up from his seat next to Yoshiki. He locked the door and moved to stand in front of the new window. “So I guess,” he took a swallow of coffee, “that we just go on like nothing happened?” He turned to raise an eyebrow at the others.

Sugizo rocked his daughter back and forth while Miyavi ran a hand up and down Yoshiki’s back. “What exactly would happen if we did?” the youngest asked quietly.

“Rumors. Candid photos printed all over the internet. Nasty accusations against all of us.”

“All of which we could deny. Claim that the photos are manipulations. It wouldn’t be the first time a fan has done such a thing.”

“All of which we could deny but will cause anyone looking at them to question us.”

“Why can’t we just tell everyone that Unca hidè and Unca Kami are alive?”

“Because, Luna-loo, too many people would be shocked and upset about it. It could cause them to react violently.”

“Whatever we decide,” Yoshiki spoke up, “we need to do it quickly. We’re all due to the studio; two of you have interviews and one a photoshoot while I have to work on tour dates and getting everything arranged.” He allowed Gackt to take away his empty cup in hopes that he would refill it. A lost cause, he knew, because they all watched his caffeine intake knowing it wouldn’t help his stomach at all.

“How about we all meet for lunch and decide?” hidè shuffled over to place his hand on top of Miyavi’s where it rested on Yoshiki’s back. The youngest guitarist half-heartedly glared at the eldest. “We’ll hide it for now and come up with something and talk it over.”

All nodded their agreement. Slowly but surely everyone eventually got up, deposited their dirty cups into the sink, and made to get ready for another day of facing the outside world. Sugizo found this most difficult since Luna clung to him like a leech.

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

A half hour before lunch found Yoshiki sitting at his desk, lifelessly poking the down arrow on the keyboard. Every couple seconds he would take a sip from the can of Sprite left on his desk, eyes glued to the monitor. Page after page flitted down the screen showing numerous lines of slander against him and the other members of S.K.I.N.

Surprise surprise word spreads quickly.

Yoshiki groaned and rested his head in his hands. So far barely any work had been done. Only a handful of phone calls had been made and blank papers with unused pencils lay scattered on his desktop mocking him. All that he could focus on were the words posted onto different forums and his MySpace.

_“The Great Yoshiki is damaged in the head.”_

_“The fool deludes himself in thinking that hanging out with those fakes will do any good.”_

_“Imposters wish to ruin them!”_

_“They’re disgusting! They’re trying to get money from Yoshiki and Gackt!”_

_“If they really were the real deal they would have told us!”_

The list went on and on. There would be one line, out of fifty or so, that would be hopeful, that would comment in favor of the ‘imposters’.

_“Maybe it really is them? Maybe they’ve truly come back to us?”_

_“They’re back! Kami-sama and hidè-sama are back!”_

_“Finally! Someone else to help Sugizo-sama and Miyavi-sama keep those two workaholics in line!”_

The last made him smile just a little bit. At least some fans found this a good thing. ‘Maybe,’ he thought, ‘maybe we should just announce to the world that they’ve come back.’ As he was working through the pros and cons, idly picking up a pencil and letting the lead move across the paper, someone knocked twice on his office door before entering.

Without raising his head he knew it wasn’t his secretary. She was under strict orders not to disturb him and to keep both eyes on babysitting Luna while the other man was in his photoshoot. Still scratching out random plans he ignored the unwanted visitor in hopes that they would go away.

Hearing leather creak as weight settled into the chair informed him that he was mistaken. ‘In that case, it’s time to tell him or her to fuck off.’ A mental smirk accompanied that thought.

“Yoshiki?”

‘Oh…shit.’ He hadn’t counted on him finding out so soon. Although it shouldn’t have been a surprise seeing as he spent more time on the internet than Yoshiki.

“Are you listening to me, Yoshiki?”

The pencil stopped moving. Bloodshot eyes from too little sleep and caffeine withdraw rolled up to meet concerned eyes belonging to his childhood friend. “Hmm?” His head weighed heavy in his hand. Shoulders were slumped as if the world were resting on top of them.

Toshi leaned forward, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. “I asked if you were alright. I heard about the incident from last night.” In all honesty he thought his friend and band mate looked like Hell, but didn’t want to say anything out loud. He’d been on the receiving end of too many explosive reactions in the past.

“I’m fine, Toshi.” The pencil resumed its course, circling and zigzagging over previous lines.

His friend snorted. “Right. You don’t look it.” The vocalist of X Japan leaned back in his chair with arms crossed over his chest. “I had forgotten that the ‘Death Warmed Over’ look was in.”

The drummer tried and failed to get angry at his friend. He just didn’t have the mental stamina for it. So instead he sighed, running both hands over his face. “I really am fine. Just…didn’t get enough sleep last night.” He let them fall to his sides. “Was there something that you wanted?”

“Yes, actually there was.” He stood and placed both hands on the desk edge. He bent forward so that he was mere inches from Yoshiki’s face. “Is it true?”

All the frazzled musician could do was blink. “Is what true?”

“Is it true tha-that hidè is back from the dead?”

The seated man was so focused on his friend’s mouth, watching it form those dreaded words that he failed to notice two others enter the still open door.

“yes,” he whispered. His head returned to his hands, slumped shoulders lightened slightly. Just telling one person such a secret relieved a fraction of his burden.

Toshi sighed and hung his head. “I was afraid of that.” His head snapped up. “But don’t worry, Yoshiki. We’re going to get you help.” One hand raised and motioned for the two standing to either side of Yoshiki’s chair.

“Wha-“ had hardly escaped his lips when he was grabbed from either side by Heath and Pata. They hoisted him up and around his desk towards the door.

With Toshi in the lead and the secretary being otherwise occupied trying to find Luna; the three men were able to get a struggling Yoshiki out of the building with no one noticing. He was quickly shoved into his own car once Heath had pulled the keys out of his pants pocket. Pata took the wheel while Heath sat next to him. Toshi climbed into the back with the stunned drummer and held him to his chest.

Toshi placed a trembling hand over his friend’s eyes. “I know that these past years have been hard on you, Yoshiki. But we’ll help you cope. I know of someone who can help ease your suffering and make you see through this illusion…this fantasy you’ve trapped yourself in.”

Yoshiki could see nothing but that didn’t stop him from feeling the car ease into traffic. He desperately wanted to push against his friend, make him understand that it wasn’t a lie. And he would definitely have words with all three of them if he could make his mouth move. His tongue and lips were tingling as they quickly went numb. Hands and arms soon followed. His head fell back as he whimpered.

“Shhh. It’s alright. I’ve got you.” Toshi continued to croon into his friend’s ear as the drug pulled the drummer into a dazed stupor. “It’s just a little something to make you cooperate with us. It’ll wear off in a bit.” The vocalist kept up his litany until the body in his arms went slack.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?”

Toshi glanced over at Heath. “Yes. You both heard him say that hidè was back. As much as I wish it were true it’s impossible.” A hand stroked through messy hair. “He needs help. Since he refuses to talk to us we’ll just have to make sure that someone else can get him to see reason.”

Pata said nothing as he flicked on the turn signal. It would take them nearly an hour to reach where Toshi’s help was waiting for them. While he didn’t like the method, he did agree that his long time friend needed help.

But in the back of his mind a tiny little voice screamed ‘What if he’s right? What if hidè really is back from the dead?’


	9. Yoshiki gets to see a shrink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshiki's been kidnapped and taken to see a head doctor then they all go to his house for beers. And surprises.

Pata did not like the way the little boy in the corner was staring at him.  The little American boy had, in Pata’s opinion, huge watery blue eyes and a shock of blond spiky hair reminding him of one of the more popular animes airing in America.  He seriously hoped that the boy’s parents, who looked to be in their early twenties and could be easily slotted into the classic ‘emo’ category, didn’t purposely cut his hair in that manner.

If so it would explain why he was there.

The guitarist of X Japan glanced to his right.  Heath was slouched down, hands tucked into the pockets of his ripped up jeans and head leaned back resting against the wall.  Toshi sat straight in his chair, one leg crossed and hands folded neatly on his lap.

Silence.

Pata slumped in his seat, mimicking Heath’s posture.  Ever since they got here and shoved their leader and friend into the shrink’s office not a single one of them had spoken a single word.  He was about to speak to his lover when the little boy got up and shuffled over to him.

All three raised their heads to look at him.  None of them said anything for several heartbeats.  Then the little boy opened his mouth and asked…

~*~X~*~J~*~A~*~P~*~A~*~N~*~

“So, Yoshiki, would you like to tell me why you’re here?”

The man in question glared at the shrink from between his fingers.  Whatever it was that Toshi had drugged him with had done nothing for his sleep-deprived/caffeine withdraw-induced headache.  Now he had to someway talk his way out of this man’s office, punch his childhood friend in the face, and force Pata and Heath to drive him home.

_I really hate my life right now.  Why couldn’t hidè still be a ghost to fuck with this man so I can escape?_

“Yoshiki?”

“I’m here, Dr. Carson, because my well intending friends and band mates think that I’ve lost it.  So they’ve kidnapped me and brought me here to be examined by yours truly.”  He leaned back on the sofa, made sure to uncross his legs, and slouched with one arm across the back of the couch.  “I was sleep deprived this morning when he asked me a question about one of our band members, the one who died several years ago.  You see, this morning someone threw a rock through my front window with a threatening note, scaring my friend’s young daughter, resulting in none of us sleeping.”

Dr. Carson made a few scribbles on his notepad.  “And what question did he ask you that has him so worried about your wellbeing?”

_Great.  My hands are shaking.  Need a smoke.  Or coffee._

“He asked me if our deceased friend was alive.”

_Cigarette._

“Is he?”

_Coffee._

A sigh.  “No.  Like I had said, I was tired and not thinking straight.  Which is why I hadn’t gotten any work done by the time he had arrived and asked me.”

_Sex.  Oh sex would be nice right about now._

A few more scribbles.  “And if you could go back, how would you answer him?” Catch him glancing at his watch.

_Or maybe one of Miyavi’s massages._

“If I’m still feeling the way I was this morning probably the same.  But if I’d had a good night’s sleep, indulged in my cup of morning coffee I would have given the answer of no.”  Idly scratch at his cheek.  “Did you know,” Yoshiki drawled, “that a little before X broke up Toshi had joined a cult?”  The concern over revealing that little tidbit was hidden behind concern for his friend’s wellbeing.

The pen halted.  It was tapped against the notepad twice before eyes darted to the watch and back to the relaxed albeit shaky drummer.

“Hmm.  Well, going by what you’ve said it appears that you’re mostly just suffering from stress.”  Carson rolled his chair back to his desk.  He reached into one of his drawers, pulled out a small purple pad of paper, and scribbled out a prescription.  “Take this.  This is something called zolpidem.  It’s the generic form of Ambien, though I doubt that money’s truly a problem for you, and works the same way.  It’ll make sure that you will get plenty of sleep.  Just please make sure to read the pamphlet that comes with it in its entirety.”  The paper was handed over and both men stood.

“Thank you, Dr. Carson.  It will be good to have a full night’s sleep for once.”

_Like having five men sharing my bed will enable me to EVER get a decent night’s sleep._

“Not a problem, Yoshiki.”  The men shook hands and Carson opened the door for both to exit.  When Yoshiki left he looked for the one who brought the man to him.  “Toshi?  Could I speak to you for a minute?”

Yoshiki smirked as his confused friend got up and walked into the room he’d just vacated.  He claimed the now empty seat next to Heath.  Casting a bewildered gaze at the young boy in the corner who seemed to hold an unhealthy fascination with him all of a sudden, he quickly turned to his two band mates.

“Alright, while Toshi’s in there trying to talk his way out I have something that I need to tell the two of you.”  Yoshiki leaned in close, making sure that he had both men’s attention before continuing.  “I’m sorry about this morning and I hold nothing against you.  Right now.  I may get you back for this later.”  A hand rose to stop anything the other two might say.  “Anyways, about what Toshi had asked earlier…  Yes, hidè and Kami are both alive and well.”

He gave them a moment.  Idly he wished that the little boy would quit staring at him like that. 

“But how…how can…”  Heath gave it a good go at trying to ask while Pata just sat there _staring_ at Yoshiki like he truly wished to believe him.

“Once Toshi is released from the uncaring fool’s hands take me back to my place and I’ll prove it to you.  You’ve both seen the photos online, I’m sure.  Despite how we’ve worked on changing their names and how hard they’ve tried to change their mannerisms…you can’t deny that they aren’t who they are.”

Before either of them could say anything Toshi emerged appearing not only sheepish but also slightly ashamed.  The shrink patted him on the shoulder twice before motioning the young couple over.  The mother whispered something into the little boy’s ear then disappeared after her husband into the office.

“Ano-“

“Time to go!”  Yoshiki clapped his hands together as he stood.  The other two followed his lead.  The drummer wrapped an arm around the vocalist’s shoulders.  “You need to give me back my cell then we’re going to my place so we can settle this proper like.”

As they made to leave the little boy got up and rushed up to Yoshiki.  The boy only came up to mid thigh so he had to crane his head back as far as possible to see his face.  He hooked one finger in his mouth.  Yoshiki looked from the boy to his three band mates confused.  The three had amused expressions plastered on their faces.

“What?”  The question was directed at his friends but it was the little boy was the one who spoke.

“Are you his wife?” he asked around his finger.

Yoshiki nearly choked on his spit.  _Wife?!_  

“You’re all pretty like my mommy.  And he’s all dressed like my daddy when he goes to work,” the little boy pointed to Toshi with his spit covered finger.  “’Cept he don’t have his face full of metally pieces like daddy.”

Pata and Heath reached the bright idea of dragging the other two out of the building at the same time.  Each grabbed an arm and literally yanked them out of the waiting room and down the flight of stairs to the car.   Toshi removed Yoshiki’s cell phone from the breast pocket of his suit jacket and powered it back on.  As it went through the process of turning itself back on he tossed it over the roof of the car to its owner.

As they settled into their seats and Pata started the engine, Yoshiki hit speed dial one and raised the phone to his ear.  He spoke quietly into the speaker then hung up.  With a slight grin he ordered, “Home, James!”

~*~S~*~K~*~I~*~N~*~

“Where the FU-ook have you been?”

That wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting for a homecoming.  Of course, he had been kidnapped by his band mates and taken to whereabouts unknown for nearly half the day.  Taking that into account Sugizo’s anger was completely understandable.

So was the teary eyed little girl in his arms.

The guitarist’s glare intensified when Yoshiki was followed inside by his three other band mates.  He said nothing as he let them pass.   Luna was passed over to her Unca Yoshi so he could apologize and close the door.  The group of six meandered into the living room where Miyavi and Gackt were already sitting.

The silence of the room unnerved Yoshiki immensely.  There was no possible way that hidè could possibly be quiet enough and still in the house.  Unless he was planning something incredibly stupid. 

Like maybe scaring their band mates.

Just as he was about to suggest everyone sit down hidè emerged from the kitchen.  There were several beer bottles under his arms and a glass of chocolate milk nearly over flowing that was handed over to Luna in an exaggerated flourish.  He grinned as he handed out beers to Yoshiki and the others, delighting in the ‘fish out of water’ imitations that Pata, Heath, and Toshi were making.

Heath got further than Pata in the department of processing.  He actually gets a hand up and points to hidè, glancing back and forth between hidè, Pata, and the newly joined Kami standing in the entrance way to the kitchen.  While he didn’t know Kami well enough just the fact that both men who were _dead_ standing in front of him, one who even gave him a beer and a slap to the shoulder, now unmistakably _alive_ caused him to do the only thing that would help this make sense:

He took a long chug of his beer.

The other guitarist of X Japan just stood there with his mouth open.  He hadn’t even taken a drink of his beer yet.  It was to be blamed on the shock of seeing his drinking buddy, his _friend_ alive and well.  With the way his old friend looked it made him feel as if he’d stepped back into time.  While he and the others had gradually grown older as the years passed, both hidè and Kami still looked like they had when they’d died.

While everyone else had aged by at least ten years, they had not.

Toshi was handling this the best out of the three.  He handed his beer over to Yoshiki, who growled a ‘thanks’ while juggling a giggling Luna and now two bottles of beer, and walked slowly over to his friend.  hidè grinned as the vocalist reached up with one hand and touched his face.  He even mirrored the action before poking him in the side.  Toshi recoiled from the poke muttering ‘holy shit you’re real’ under his breath.

Without warning he grabbed hidè by the arms and pulled him into a bear hug.

hidè returned the affection.  In the back ground both men could hear everyone sigh in relief.  Miyavi even went so far as to comment about it.

“I’d say that they have a better response than Yo-chan did.”  When the members of X Japan turned to stare at him, he elaborated, “Yo-chan had fainted and when he woke up he screamed at hidè and punched him!”

The next several minutes were spent with everyone congratulating hidè and Kami on their return from the dead, asking questions of what it was like (of which Heath learned some things about Yoshiki’s love life that he never wanted to know), and basically everyone sitting down almost like no time had passed since they’d last seen each other. 

_It seems we weren’t the only ones within the music industry that wanted them back,_ Gackt thought light heatedly as Kami settled onto the armrest of the chair he was sitting on.  He remembered back when he had first heard about hidè’s death.  Back when the breakup of X Japan was still fresh in everyone’s minds and there had been several fans that had the gall to start the rumors of Toshi being the one who ended hidè’s life so suddenly.  While it was a question that no one would dare ask, just from the way Toshi nearly clung to hidè it was obvious that he couldn’t have done it.  The death of a living legend had simply been what everyone else had thought:  a drunken mistake.

A tug on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts.  Kami hand one arm over the back of the chair and the other wrapped firmly in the sleeve of Gackt’s shirt.  “They aren’t the only ones we need to tell before letting the public know,” the drummer whispered into his ear.

How true.  If they were indeed going to go public with the miraculous return then the former members of Malice Mizer were going to have to be told first.  Or second as the case may be.  If there was one thing besides Yoshiki’s wrath that Gackt didn’t want to face it would be Mana’s wrath.  No matter how girly that man dressed if someone did something to piss him off…well that’s why he wears such monstrous platforms.

Gackt’s manhood had been threatened many a times and had actually come close to being crushed when the wearer of said platforms had walked in on him while on the floor exercising.  He couldn’t quite remember what he’d done to piss Mana off, but that’s to be blamed on the heavy piece of rubber that half crushed him.

It may have also been because he also had had an excellent view up Mana’s little pleather skirt.

“You’re right.”  He frowned when Kami gave him a knowing smirk.  The drummer had found it hysterical at the time and from the looks of it still does.  Gackt cleared his throat to grab everyone’s attention.

“If we’re going to tell the world about this,” he paused when everyone nodded their heads in agreement, “then we’re also going to have to inform Mana, Yu~ki, and Kozi about Kami being alive.”  From the expressions on their faces it was something that none of them had thought about.  Granted he hadn’t either until Kami had mentioned it.

Yoshiki, now free of Luna who decided to say hi to the others of X, leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him.  “You’re right.  How should we go about doing it?  I doubt that any of them are willing to come to the States and kidnap you into getting the information.  If they’ve heard anything at all, mind you.”

“And Mana’s more than likely too busy to have paid attention to any fan mail sent his way.  He’d probably think they were nothing more than junk at the most.”  Kami let the fingers of his hand on the chair play with Gackt’s hair.  He was not so secretly pleased that the man was growing it back out.  “I think the best course of action to take would be for Gaku and me to go to Japan and meet up with them.”

“Does anybody even know what Yu~ki’s doing nowadays?” came the honest question from Pata.  He made sure never to pry into the lives of other musicians seeing as how he knew it was annoying as hell.

“I’m sure Mana knows,” Gackt answered reassuringly.  It was mostly for Kami’s sake because not only did Kami leave behind his band members but also his son.  He never said anything but Gackt, as well as the others, could see the longing in Kami’s eyes whenever he watched Sugizo interact with his daughter.

“Don’t worry.  You’ll find the others and your son and then we can tell the whole world and throw a HUUUUGE party to celebrate!” hidè exclaimed from behind where Yoshiki sat.

The rest of the evening was spent with all nine musicians discussing just how to handle Gackt and Kami going to Japan with Gackt’s workload, how exactly to announce to the world that the two were back, and what to plan for damage control once the public understood that they were the real deal.  Around 7 o’clock was when Toshi, Heath, and Pata called it a night claiming an early flight back to Japan the next morning.

No one wanted to deal with making diner so Sugizo suggested the most amazing thing that anyone had heard all day:  delivery.  Miyavi and hidè quickly scrambled into the kitchen to retrieve the pamphlets and decide where to order from while Kami and Gackt helped Yoshiki pick up the many discarded beer bottles left behind.  Luna made herself busy by drawing more pictures to hand up in the living room.  That kept her out of the way of the cleaning adults and gave her something to do until dinner arrived.

After much bickering between the two, Kami walked over and calmly pulled one of the pamphlets out of Miyavi’s hand.  “There.  I picked where we’re having dinner from.  Now order the food.”  He them walked back out to the living room and plopped himself down onto Gackt’s lap.  The vocalist was trying his damndest not to burst out laughing at the affronted look on Miyavi’s face.

With a grumbled curse at the laughing hidè Miyavi went to the phone and placed the order.  Since they had eaten there before he only had to go off of what was already circled.  They could sort things out once the food arrived.  Meanwhile he trudged his way over to the sofa and mirrored Kami on Yoshiki’s lap.

Twenty minutes later found them all sitting on the floor, chopsticks in hand, while yet another Disney movie entertained Luna (and secretly the adults as well).  After cleaning up from dinner everyone was quick to go to bed.  Poor Luna was drooping well before little Simba had sung about being king. 

Yoshiki peeked out his front window, watching as the unmarked police car rolled slowly by.  _It certainly helps to have to be a celebrity,_ he thought.  _Of course having a little girl living with also helps.  Those cops were quite pissed when they saw how frightened she was this morning._

A hand on his shoulder caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.  Behind him stood Sugizo, one hand placed on Yoshiki’s shoulder the other reaching up to wrap around the pianist’s waist.  “Come on.  Time for bed, old man.”  He gently tugged the half resisting man up the stairs to the master bedroom.  Protests about keeping a watch were ignored as Miyavi joined in at the door.  Together they striped Yoshiki of his clothes and pushed him onto the bed.

Right into hidè’s waiting arms.

“Where’s…”

“They wanted a little ‘alone time’,” hidè sang, wrapping his arms around his favoritest drummer.  With Yoshiki’s back resting against his chest the poor drummer failed to notice the positively _evil_ grin that almost split the guitarist’s face in half.  “Besides, we figured this would be a little easier on that old heart of yours.”

Yoshiki was watching Sugizo and Miyavi slowly strip each other of their clothing and only caught the very end of hidè’s statement.  “What?”  He turned his head to look at the man holding him right as Miyavi crawled his way up from the foot of the bed.  Something metallic glinted in one hand.  “What would be easier?”

Sugizo stood at the doorway, one hand on the light switch, calmly observing as hidè and Miyavi wrestled Yoshiki flat on his back and handcuffed his hands to the headboard.  After memorizing where the three were lying he flipped off the switch and bounced over to the bed.

“You scared us,” he whispered into the ear of the trapped drummer.  “So now you have to pay.”  Hands ran up and down Yoshiki’s body.  “We need to…make sure that you’re still here and all that.”

Yoshiki wasn’t given a chance to respond as the three descended upon him.


End file.
